memoria in aeterna
by alucinor
Summary: Meaning: In Eternal Remembrance. Meeting up with the inhabitants of a new world, SG1 learns of an ancient evil lurking within the forest. But is that truly where the evil lies? And what do the Asgard have to do with its making? *On Hold*
1. Ch 01

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own any of the Stargate characters. Some of my creations do occasionally get to play with them, however.

Note: Originally this story was meant to take place during season 8, but out of a desire to have Jack as an active member of the team I ended up setting it earlier. Not sure exactly when, but probably during or after season 4. (before season 5)

_**----------------------**_

"Good luck, SG-1," the disembodied voice came from the control room, and caused O'Neill to turn around with a smile as he looked up at General Hammond.

"Until we meet again, sir." Dropping his outspread arms from their embellished gesture, Jack took a firm hold of his P90, fingers loosely entwining the cool metal, and headed cheerfully up the ramp to join his team. Without another word or backward glance, the group departed Earth.

As ever, traveling through the wormhole was an interesting affair; especially that first step out of it. Having firm ground back underneath your feet again, when you hadn't even realized you'd missed it until that moment, was always an odd sensation. Like coming to a sudden halt and not knowing until you'd stopped that you'd ever been moving. It hit the body as something of a shock.

A jolt to the system or not, it failed to have the power to disrupt years of training. As soon as they'd reached the other side, a keen gaze swept the area and informed Jack that nothing lurked nearby – at least nothing out in the open. The absence of any weapon fire told him that there weren't any Jaffa around and likely meant that there wasn't a Goa'uld on the planet. Of course, you never really could tell and caution paid off.

"Daniel?"

"There doesn't seem to be any sign of civilization here," came the immediate reply, offered in a distant tone as the archaeologist was already examining the area directly around the gate. Quickly assessing the difficulty in dialing back home, should the need arise.

"Do you think this planet is uninhabited?"

"The MALP showed no traces, but this close to the gate it's hard to tell. It could just mean that the Stargate doesn't play an active role in their society." As he spoke, he carefully brushed some fallen leaves off from the DHD; taking note of the overgrown state of the plant-life around the gate.

"Or that they don't know about it," remarked Sam softly, intelligent blue eyes scanning her surroundings carefully.

"Right." Daniel nodded in agreement.

"Alright, so let's look around a bit." Jack's voice was casual, sounding completely at ease, but his teammates weren't fooled. They knew perfectly well that he wouldn't let down his guard until they were all back home in one piece. Nobody commented, merely dropped into stride with the colonel; following his lead in a comfortable, albeit wary, silence.

They had traveled a few hours with no indication of any type of society presenting itself. The trees were beginning to thin around them, signifying an end to the forest, and the prospect of a meal was sounding very inviting. Calling for a stop, Jack noticed Teal'c standing off from the rest of them; the Jaffa's body was tense and alert as his sharp gaze scanned the trees.

"Teal'c?" Jack's voice was questioning, everything about the colonel showing a higher level of vigilance. He could feel something amiss, but was unable to put his finger on the reason for his discomfort. So he trusted to the Jaffa to label it, to bring clarity to the source of his unease.

"I am not certain, O'Neill. Something lingers nearby." Teal'c could sense a certain distrust in the woods; a feeling of barely contained apprehension. It was almost overwhelming, the impression that something bad was about to occur. So strong was the notion, that he found himself on edge as a result. Mimicking the forest's perception on a situation that he had yet to identify, himself.

"Friend or foe?"

"This forest seems alive and holds great suspicion."

"I can feel it too," the archaeologist remarked softly. "It's like it doesn't want us here. We're trespassing."

Jack remained quiet as he considered the words of his teammates, although the absurd concept of a forest caring who entered it wasn't among his thoughts. He'd learned quickly that strange things did happen and disbelief didn't get you anywhere. What was true, was true, regardless of whether or not you wanted to believe it. Besides, he could feel the same thing. Could almost swear there was a hint of malice.

"Right then," the colonel broke the growing silence, "let's move out. We'll rest once we get into the clearing."

"Sir, I think we should hurry." Sam, too, was becoming increasingly uncomfortable under the watchful eyes of the timeless trees. An icy shiver crawled over her flesh at the thought, raising goose-bumps in its wake, and she barely managed to suppress an outward sign of the internal chill taking root. The only consolation came in knowing the others felt the same way.

They had nearly reached the meadow when a flicker of movement flashed across Sam's peripheral vision and captured her immediate attention. She stopped abruptly; words spoken in a tense tone. "Colonel? I think…"

"I saw it. Teal'c go…" the words trailed off into nothingness as a young man entered the clearing that lay before them; completely unaware of those who observed him. The youth, who by all appearances was in his late teens or early twenties, was intent on gathering some form of plant life. At least that was how it looked; he would walk a few paces, then bend and tug at the ground before moving on. Whatever he collected was placed into a pouch hanging loosely on one hip, tied there by a deep colored cord that was wrapped around his waist.

They might have felt foolish, if not for the nagging sense of alarm that the forest itself seemed to be projecting. The nearness of the native only enhanced the mood, until it was a nearly tangible entity within the air. A specter of malevolence and forewarning manifesting itself in the minds of the team.

Daniel commented in a voice little more than a whisper. Somehow the waning light, combined with the tone of their surroundings, prompted one to speak softly. "Maybe we're not the ones who aren't wanted here."


	2. Ch 02

"What do you mean?" asked Sam in a similarly hushed voice, hers quieted out of trained reflex.

"Doesn't it seem as though that feeling of agitation is growing the closer he gets?" Daniel gestured toward the young man needlessly, wonder exactly why the youth hadn't detected them yet given their fairly unconcealed positions. _I suppose he's just intent on his work._ The archaeologist could understand that, often having fallen victim under the same spell; for him it was created by curiosity of the unknown.

"So I noticed." Jack sounded tense, which was hardly surprising given the present circumstances. The forest was unnerving, and even Teal'c was slightly on edge. "Why don't you go do your thing and maybe we can make friends," the colonel suggested, glancing behind them at the bulk of the waiting woods. "Somewhere else.

In perfect accordance of thought, Daniel nodded and proceeded forward through the overgrown brush; all that remained to block him from the meadow. Hands carefully resting at his sides, in order to appear as non-threatening as possible, the linguist called out to the youth in a friendly tone, "Hello."

The youth's response was instantaneous, as the dark head snapped up; deep brown eyes staring out at the archaeologist were more inquisitive than frightened.

"Hi," he repeated a greeting and garnering no response, continued with a gesture to encompass the rest of SG-1 who remained in the brush. "We're peaceful explorers from Earth." Tapping his fingers lightly against his chest for emphasis, "I'm Daniel."

"Renato."

Grateful for something now baring relation to a conversation, he took that for the native's name. "Uh, hello Renato. This is Jack O'Neill, Major Carter and Teal'c," he introduced the group as they moved forward, coming to stand just behind the archaeologist. Their weapons weren't drawn, but Daniel knew that they could be within a moment's notice.

Renato, for his part, either didn't recognize them as harmful or was simply unconcerned by their appearance.

"Greetings to you all," the words were accented but clearly understood, sounding refined and educated.

Having grown used to the widespread use of English throughout the galaxy, nobody bothered to say anything at the revelation. Instead, Daniel spoke, though more aloud to himself than to those present. "Renato, I think that's of Latin origin. Which.." taking heed of the familiar looks being cast in his direction, he considered, "may or may not have any relevance to what we're here for, per se."

"Thank you Daniel. Carter?"

"We're not due to check in for several hours yet, sir. The MALP should be able to transmit our signal back to the SGC without our distance being a problem," Sam said confidently.

"Alright," Jack looked at each person in turn, brown gaze coming to rest on Renato. "So, are you alone around here?"

Shaking his head, "No, my village is nearby. I believe I should take you there." Catching the exchange of glances from the group of strangers, he continued hesitantly, "That is only if you wish to go."

"Of course, we would be honored to meet your people," replied Daniel, genuinely enthusiastic about the prospect. He couldn't wait to see what the village looked like, what type of society had impacted this planet. If Renato's name was any indication, then whoever came to this planet spoke Latin. It didn't necessarily mean it was their native language, but there was a chance this was an off-shoot of the roman empire. While there were other possibilities, the attire Renato was wearing lent evidence toward his first guess.

Oddly, the youth looked conflicted. It was as though he were weighing some difficult choice. Guessing at its cause, Daniel smiled reassuringly. "We mean your people no harm."

Directing his gaze down at the ground briefly, Renato responded softly, "I was not worried for _my_ people." Although a grim expression played upon the young man's face, he motioned for them to follow him and set out at a steady pace toward the promised civilization.

The archaeologist assumed the dour cast to the youth's features was due to some distrust on whether or not Daniel had meant what he'd said. _That's alright, we'll just have to prove to them that we do not intend to hurt anyone. We can't just assume they'll take our word for it._ Besides, it wasn't like they'd never had to work to gain trust before. Intent on getting off well, Daniel decided a bit of small talk wouldn't be a bad idea; his curiosity was rearing up again anyway. "So, Renato, what do your people call themselves?"

"We are the Marsi." The response did not extend beyond answering the base question.

Since the rest of SG-1 weren't coming forth with anything helpful, the linguist continued - unmindful of the short reply. "What's the name of your village?"

"Marruvium."

Daniel was intrigued by the name of the indigenous people as well as that of their city. Something was attempting to grab hold of his conscious mind, some past knowledge of the society. Whatever it was escaped him for the moment, causing a faint frown to become etched into his face.

"Daniel?" Carter's voice was gently probing, she could tell that something was troubling her friend. When no information was forthcoming, she prompted further. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure. Probably nothing." He didn't sound convinced, but unable to put a finger on whatever detail was worrying at his subconscious, couldn't actually do anything but draw attention to his unfounded concern. That wouldn't do, especially since the Marsi had thus far done nothing to deserve suspicion.

Jack slanted a glance at Daniel, who seemed wrapped up in thought. Even though the archaeologist's face was carefully neutral, Jack could tell he was having misgivings about something. While he wasn't fond of the man's ability to ramble, he did respect Daniel's insight and intelligence. The colonel was definitely going to have to ask him about that later, when the opportunity presented itself. For now, in the presence of Renato, Jack wasn't about to call attention to it. Instead he remained on his guard, half listening as Sam questioned the Marsi about the herbs he'd been collecting when they'd met.

"It is thymum." responded Renato, who looked happier now that his focus was on the plant.

"What's that?" asked Jack.

"Thyme," answered Daniel distantly.

"Yes," nodded the Marsi with zeal. "We use this herb much in our cooking and in bathing."

"You take a bath in this stuff?" Jack was dubious. While he liked the woodsy smell, the herb carried a very strong scent that he believed may well be too much.

Daniel listened to the exchange, half amused; half curious. He knew that the Romans often used thyme when they bathed, at least when they were preparing for a battle. Given what else he knew of the ancient Marsi people, that thought gave him pause. He tried to ignore the unsettling feeling that was growing stronger the more he learned and remembered.

"Yes, thymum gives one vigor."

"I see," replied Sam. "I imagine then it would have the same properties as our variety on Earth."

Renato, not knowing what their thyme was like, only shrugged. "It has many uses. For instance, it is powerful against infections. Often after use it takes less than a day to subdue wounds." He may have said more, but as they cleared the top of the hill it was apparent they'd reached the village - which was much larger than any of the team had anticipated.

The city stretched out before them; a mass of gleaming stone buildings contrasted by beautiful, lush gardens, even in the diminished light. The vibrant nature of the plants enhanced the aesthetics of the awe-inspiring arches and columns. Nearing the structures, the painstakingly crafted scenes upon the walls became visible. Snakes seemed an abundant theme, something Jack noticed with a new level of wariness.

Renato lead them past a bathhouse and into what appeared to be some kind of reception room. "Wait here, please. I will find the Coryphaeus." With that he departed, leaving a confused look from Jack unanswered. Turning to Daniel, he raised a brow.

"That would be their leader," came the prompt reply from the linguist.

"Ah, well... they seem to have an obsession with snakes." The tone of his voice was conversational, but to his team it was also suspicious.

"I noticed."

"Goa'uld?"

It was Teal'c who answered. "I do not believe there is a Goa'uld currently on this planet."

"Why do you say that?" the colonel asked curiously.

"We would have been brought before him the moment we arrived here."

"Ah," Jack repeated. "So, Daniel, you seem to know a bit about these people." Thinking back to the archaeologist's earlier behavior. "Maybe there's something you want to share with us?"

"The Marsi were a war-like people who became allies of Rome. It has been said that the Romans never triumphed over them or without them. Their people were renowned for magic and supposedly they had strange cures for various illnesses."

Eyes glazing over, Jack shook his head. "And?"

Daniel removed his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose. "They worshiped the snake goddess Angitia."


	3. Ch 03

"So we think that this Angitia is a goa'uld?" Jack was unwilling to give up the idea that one of the parasites had influenced the Marsi society.

"I'm pretty sure," answered Daniel.

"It explains the art," remarked Jack offhandedly as he surveyed the room that they waited in. Even here the prominent theme was the serpent. Various images of the creature were carved into walls and pillars, coiling around the gorgeous architecture in glorious detail.

"Who was she?" inquired Sam, gaze still trailing over the designs; stopping on the glittering, jeweled-red eyes of one particular reptile.

"According to myth, Angitia was a goddess of healing, herbs and witchcraft."

"Teal'c, you know this snake?"

"She was once powerful among the system lords. Her Jaffa were formidable warriors and were greatly feared."

"Then what happened to her?" Carter couldn't help the curiosity that was rising.

"Very little is known about her demise. It was said she met her death at the hand of an old enemy." The big Jaffa appeared stoic, but that was hardly new.

"Then what..? She just vanished?" Trying to ignore the uneasy feeling that had settled into the pit of his stomach, the archaeologist couldn't hide the troubled timbre that crept into his words.

"That is correct."

"Wait. If another goa'uld killed the Marsi's goddess, why wouldn't they have instituted their own religion here, turned the people of this world into their followers? I can't believe a goa'uld would just leave them worshiping a fallen enemy."

"You are correct, Daniel Jackson. A goa'uld would not allow such a thing to transpire."

"So..uh..what did we just figure out?" Jack was puzzled, unable to fully understand what they were getting at.

"I don't think it was another goa'uld that killed Angitia," was the incredulous answer received from Daniel.

"If it wasn't a snake head, then who was it? Not that I mind the favor, but.."

The only reply the colonel got was silence, as the weight of the situation sunk in fully. Briefly Daniel had entertained the notion that the Asgard or some other ally had freed this world, but had that been so they would not have left the people believing in a false goddess. That meant either the Marsi had done away with her themselves, also illogical since they still followed her religion, or someone else was out there that held the power to take down a goa'uld system lord without leaving a trace of what had occurred. If that was true then they were playing in a whole new ball game.

They were saved further contemplation on the matter by the return of Renato who seemed to herald the presence of an older woman with long graying hair that was worn in an ornate, carefully arranged, fashion. Knotted behind her head, it was held in place by one large silver hairpin, set with shimmering stones in an array of colors. She was dressed in both an under tunic that fell past her knees and was true Tyrian purple, hinting towards wealth, and an outer tunic that glimmered faintly from some silvery thread woven into the otherwise white cloth. Covering her shoulders was a matching purple shawl. Several pieces of jewelry decorated the woman's body, each one crafted with the skill and care of a master. Adorning her feet were traditional laced up sandals, white in hue.

"What brings you to our home, strangers?" Her dark eyes roamed the room, taking in each member of sg1 in turn. While the expression in them wasn't openly hostile, something about the way she gazed at them made Daniel's uneasy feeling escalate. Still, it wasn't like they'd done anything to earn his paranoia.

Jack, too, was wary of her expression. But he understood it. It was this woman's duty to make sure her people were protected and strangers could well bring with them a means of disrupting that. It was the same way he felt about his team, and why he considered almost everyone a potential threat. If they proved they weren't, egos and feelings could be soothed over. If they showed they were, it was best to be on guard and get them before they got you.

"We're explorers," Daniel offered slowly, gaze pensive. The answer was succinct and thus so unlike the vocal archaeologist that his teammates once more turned to look at him. Yes, they all knew something was causing disquiet in their friend. Though he still had yet to mention it's source, they all picked up on his mood. They'd spent far too much time together for it to be otherwise.

Teal'c was watchful; standing behind them he observed everyone moving about outside and assessed their risk potential. And in spite of how hard he inspected their surroundings, the jaffa simply could not find anything amiss. That didn't mean he wouldn't remain heedful; Major Carter, Daniel Jackson and O'Neill were his responsibility.

Sam, meanwhile, had begun conversation with Renato once more concerning herb use on the planet. She knew Janet would be very interested to hear about it, and since Jack was speaking with the village leader she didn't see any reason not to engage in the talk. Maybe she'd even be able to bring back samples of some of the more useful ones. Their thymum certainly would be of value if it was as good in dealing with infection as the young man had claimed. Then she found herself zeroing back in on what the colonel was saying.

"A monster?"

"Yes," replied the woman, her attitude left no room for debate on how she felt about the matter. "It is an ancient evil that has lived within our forests for as long as any can remember. It has been said that there was a time when it did not exist, but that was long ago."

"And this.. evil," Daniel began, "what exactly does it do?" He made a mental footnote of Renato's sudden and uncomfortable shifting.

"It has terrorized the Marsi for countless years. Did you not feel the malevolence in the woods when you passed through them?"

"As a matter of fact, we did," replied Jack.

"It causes the trees and animals to react like that. The demon's hatred and malice has overwhelmed the forest and my people fear to tread too deeply into the shadows."

"Why doesn't someone take care of it?" The words combined with O'Neill's body language told everyone exactly what he meant by 'take care of'.

"The beast killed our Goddess." It was said so softly, almost sadly, that for a moment Carter didn't realize it came from Renato. Apparently he wasn't to have said it though, because the Coryphaeus' hard glance came to rest upon him.

"She will rise again," came the woman's harsh response.

"Excuse me, how long ago did this happen?" The linguist, based on what Teal'c had said, assumed the goa'uld was truly dead.. but the woman seemed so convinced of Angitia's return.

"Nearly 300 years."

Daniel relaxed marginally, though the agitation didn't completely vanish from his mind. "How can you be so assured of her return then?"

"She is a god!" The woman was obviously annoyed now, having her belief even indirectly challenged.

"He didn't mean any disrespect," Sam hurriedly cut in, surprised that she had to be the one to do so on behalf of the normally diplomatic Daniel.

Luckily the Marsi leader outwardly calmed. "If you'll pardon me, I have things I must be doing. Please make yourselves comfortable in our city. Renato will be your guide while you're here." With that she departed, Renato dutifully followed her knowing he had spoken out of turn and would receive a punishment for it. Afterwards he would come back and do as the Coryphaeus had ordered and see to the needs of the strangers.

After they were gone, Jack spoke up. "Did that seem odd to anyone else?"

"It did indeed, O'Neill."

"It was like they were hiding something," Sam continued the idea.

"Be that as it may, at least we've learned a few things of importance." Still thoughtful, Daniel looked at the others.

"Such as..?" asked the colonel.

"That it's a very safe bet that Angitia is truly dead for starters. I believe they saw her death given how positive Renato was that this 'beast' had killed their goddess. And.." he paused for a moment, "I think it's likely that whatever killed the goa'uld is still here on this planet."


	4. Ch 04

"They saw her death? That Corp.. coryphes.. that woman said it's been 300 years since their 'god' was killed. Want to explain how they could have seen it?"

"I meant their people in general, Jack, not the current generation."

"I knew that." O'Neill shifted, a faintly sheepish expression ghosting across his features. "So, still here?"

"I think so. Based on how they talk about this _demon_, I'd say it's quite possible that they've come into contact with it since that time."

"You're making a lot of assumptions here."

"Everything we've learned since coming here gives some validity to my theory. Walking through that forest, we all felt something. Now, we didn't know until we got here that there was a myth about a beast living there. So if we weren't influenced by suggestion, what was it?"

Renato returned, once more keeping them from further discussion amongst themselves. He appeared subdued, no doubt a direct result from whatever form of castigation he was subjected to. By his ease of movement one could surmise that it had been a verbal rebuke at least, which was by far better than physical punishment.

"I am to take you to the council. Though manners might dictate giving you time to bathe, I am afraid they are quite insistent on your immediate attendance."

"It's alright, I took a shower this morning before I left home." Jack spoke good-naturedly as he walked back out of the building, followed by an almost imperceptibly smiling Carter. Teal'c emerged last, following Renato and Daniel into the fresh air.

Night had fallen; the obscurity broken by torches strategically scattered to allow for optimum light. Still the city remained active, people bustling about their business - casting questioning glances toward the group of strangers but noone stopped to inquire of them. Due in part to that and in part to the nearness of the targeted structure in general, they soon found themselves standing before an assembled group of obviously high ranking officials. Seated in the center was the gray-haired woman they'd met earlier. It was she who spoke first, without any preamble.

"It has been decided that you shall be allowed to remain here this night. The forest is never safe, and one risks more than their life to enter after darkness has taken root for the evening." The words were clear, devoid of any emotion or hint toward the thoughts of the woman.

To Daniel it was calculating; he suspected she meant to come off sounding benevolent - doing them a favor. Therefore in return she must expect something. What, he couldn't imagine.

"That's awfully considerate of you," the colonel remarked. If the words contained a touch of sarcasm it did not appear to register with the Marsi present.

Sam remained silent, as did Teal'c. The latter had never stopped inspecting every shadow; every movement. The archaeologist was, for the moment, quiet as well, musing over the potential requests that could be made of SG-1. So it went without saying that he paid careful attention to everything that went on.

"Tomorrow is our Serpari festival, we would be honored if you took part in it," the Coryphaeus continued. The others of the council had yet to say a single word, making it perfectly obvious that they were there out of tradition rather than any ability to wield an ounce of power. They were purely decorative.

Jack turned to Daniel with a raised brow, the linguist simply nodded - indicating that yes, he understood what this festival was. More importantly, perhaps, what it was celebrating. Something he would inform them all about when given the chance, if the Marsi failed to clearly detail it.

Sure enough, the woman rose without even so much as waiting for an answer. She was leader and was accustomed to being obeyed - even when an order was given the pretense of being a request.

"Yeah, sure, we'd love to." The sardonic reply trailed after the vanishing council, irritation was evident on Jack's face. "Well, I just adore being _invited _to a party."

Renato, who had remained to show the team to their sleeping quarters, fidgeted uncomfortably. Plainly he did not care for the way the elders had behaved, yet the young man lacked the ability to do anything about it. Besides, one simply did not challenge the decisions of the Coryphaeus. It just wasn't done. "Please come with me. I will bring you somewhere you may rest for the night."

Lacking anything more to say, Renato turned and strode across the stone floor; heading through a darkened doorway. Jack was the first to reach it after the youth and he realized that it wasn't really all that dark. Flickering candles could be seen at sparing intervals along the wall. While the hall was somewhat closed in, there where shafts meant for ventilation that kept the air clean and also served to banish any feelings of claustrophobia.

It wasn't a long trek down the corridor before they came to what was apparently their sleeping quarters. It was a large room, beautifully decorated, and one could not help but be impressed. There would have been no objection, except Renato then attempted to lead Sam to another location altogether - mentioning a different building. That caused protest, and not only from her.

"She'll stay here with us," said Jack.

"That is not proper," Renato challenged, seeming surprised at the very notion.

"In our world, it's acceptable." The colonel spoke in the most polite way he could manage, being the diplomat he was - it was ..civil. Besides, he wasn't about to lose track of one of his team.

Obviously aware that they were not going to allow themselves to be separated even to maintain a semblance of respectable propriety, Renato nodded; a brief frown resting on his face as he turned to leave, bidding them a good night before parting. He'd no more than left before Jack turned his attention to Daniel.

"Festival?"

"Um, yeah. Snake festival. It's a spring celebration that occurs in early May, which as you can tell is traced back to the Marsi and their worship of Angitia. The villagers would have collected snakes by now, generally capturing them right as they're coming out of winter hibernation. They keep them until this festival, when they drape them over a statue of their goddess as well as themselves. This is done to seek protection from snake bites, ironically enough. The latter part of that actually refers to Saint Domenico Abate, who took the place of Angitia in the culture in our world."

"So what do they want us to do?" Carter wondered aloud, hoping they weren't going to be expected to parade around with live snakes wrapped around their bodies. She wasn't reassured by Daniel's reply.

"I have no idea."

"That's helpful."

"Well, given their religion it could be anything from letting the snakes go to .."

"To what?" Jack asked peevishly, wishing his team hadn't drawn this planet.

"I don't know." The archaeologist shrugged.

"Why couldn't SG-3 have gotten this world instead?" Jack seemed to be asking God rather than his teammates the question, his eyes focused on the ceiling of the room as he slowly shook his head.

"We're just lucky, Sir." Carter tried to hide a smile, unsuccessfully judging said commander's next words.

"Let's see if you're so amused tomorrow when they ask you to play with the snakes."

"Let's just hope they're actual snakes." Daniel commented softly, contemplating his thoughts out loud without realizing he'd done so for a moment.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, Jack, think about it. It's feasible that their festival actually revolves around Goa'uld larva. It could be some kind of choosing process for the maturing young."

"I really wish you hadn't said that. T'? You think that Daniel might be right on that?"

"I do not know, O'Neill. Such choosing ceremonies are common among the Goa'uld but I am not familiar with Angitia's method."

"It's possible that this theory has nothing to do with what they're actually planning, right?" Sam didn't particularly enjoy the concept of dealing with it either. "I mean, there hasn't been a mature, living Goa'uld here for three centuries. Why would there be immature ones?"

"Way to stay positive, Carter."

Sam's words prompted everyone to relax a bit and Daniel relented, just as happy as the others that what she said made logical sense.

"That does seem more plausible and I was just thinking aloud anyway. Sorry."

"And with that thought, bedtime campers. I'll take first watch. Carter, you take second. Daniel, Teal'c." The rest nodded as Jack moved to find a decent place to sit where he might have a full view of the entire room. He wasn't about to drop his guard; besides all that talk about snakes, moreso Daniel's suggestion about it pertaining to Goa'uld larva, had him slightly on edge.


	5. Ch 05

And for the 3-5 people who read this :o) the way overdue fifth chapter.  
-----

When dawn broke the team was up, had been for awhile, in order to discuss a few of the finer points for the day. They were all prepared when Renato came to collect them, bringing them outside where many of the city's occupants were already milling around. The festival had apparently been underway for awhile already, laughter could be heard ringing out as children joyously ran through the streets; chasing one another in their play. The people wandering around matched the general tone of the day, clothed in their most vivid and best attire - to one with subtle tastes, the whole scene might have appeared garish.

Brightly colored tapestries were hanging around the market area, all crafted with the utmost care by the hands of some master weaver. Elaborate designs rolled gracefully across the surface of each tapestry, bringing the serpent markings they bore to life.

SG1 quickly found themselves seated at a table near the council, a wide array of delicious looking foods placed before them. The Council members themselves were already consuming their meal, various other citizens doing likewise. Apparently there was little decorum observed during the Serpari festival, commoners and officials were treated alike. As the team ate, in relative silence, they observed the mirth among the Marsi people and relaxed marginally. By no means, however, did they let their guard down. Daniel was watching those around him carefully, the Coryphaeus in particular.

The gray-haired woman was perfectly still - except the dark eyes that were constantly flickering between the members of SG1, her people, and the forest that lay in view. To her the woods were a blemish on her otherwise perfect planet, as for the creature that lay within the gloomy borders... She stood, and without saying a word everyone fell into a silence that reigned absolutely.

"We bid welcome to our guests on this most joyous day." The small woman's voice touched the air, commanded attention with an authority that was at odds with her size. "We hope they will consent to join in our celebration and aid us in our hunt." With those words spoken, that shrewd gaze came once more to rest upon SG1.

Daniel shivered involuntarily as the uneasiness of the previous day swept over him once more, still without an identifiable source. As a result of this he couldn't keep the tension in his body from showing, at least to those who knew him and took notice of both his subdued manner and general stillness. Likewise, he could tell that his teammates were skeptical - especially when the idea of a hunt was mentioned.

"So this hunt," Jack began conversationally, "what's it all about?"

"Since the death of our Goddess, we have annually hunted the creature who stalks the shadows. It's death will signal the time of her return."

Jack could have sworn he noticed several quick glances traded between a number of the people around them, but that might have been a result of the touchy topic. He subtly signaled Sam, who from all appearances was about ready to question something, indicating that she not speak. Teal'c acknowledged the gesture, though the big Jaffa wasn't about to say anything regardless - attention fixed now upon the approaching group of armed soldiers. Jack wasn't worried even at the sight of the small contingent. They had spears and shields, he had a P90 among other weapons; his team similarly outfitted.

The Coryphaeus motioned to the two lead men, who strode forward; offering their weapons to Jack and Teal'c. "No, that's alright. We have our own." He tapped the fingers of one hand lightly against the metal of the gun.

"What exactly do you expect us to do?" Carter finally questioned, her blue eyes curious.

"Why find and kill the creature of course." The Coryphaeus spoke, her tone indicating that it should have been obvious.

"You want us to destroy this...monster... for you?" Clearly the archaeologist was having doubts about the whole idea.

"Daniel," Jack warned softly, smoothly cutting in before the gray-haired woman could speak - the wrath visible within her gaze. "Not now."

"But Jack, how can we be sure..."

"I said not now." The colonel's voice rose marginally to emphasize the last word, causing the linguist to bite back whatever reply he may have thought to make.

Daniel got it, and he believed that, yes, they would discuss it later. Focusing on the prospect of rushing out to face an unknown enemy, he couldn't keep the frown from writing itself across his face. Instead of saying anything more, he followed Jack's lead as the colonel rose and headed toward the forest. O'Neill had apparently grown weary of discussing anything with the leader of the Marsi. When the archaeologist glanced back towards the woman, herself, he noticed a hard gleam in her eyes. _She must really want this thing dead..._ But even as he thought it, he couldn't help believe that there was more to it.

------------------------

"Apparently these are the tracks we're supposed to be looking for."

"Jack, those are wolf tracks.."

"I'm aware of that Daniel."

"Are you also aware of how many wolves there must be around here?"

O'Neill didn't respond this time, only stopped to fix Daniel with a 'don't say another word' glare, which seldom had the desired response from the current target.

"Does anyone else get the feeling there is more to all this than they've told us?" Sam broke in as they started moving again, playing peacekeeper.

"I believe that to be so, Major Carter." Teal'c responded in his usual tone, cautious of the forest that had once more grown thick about them.

"Well, I can't say I'm not glad to be out of that city. The way that Corp.."

"Coryphaeus." Daniel supplied without thinking.

Slanting a half annoyed glance at the linguist, Jack continued, "The way she was acting, I was waiting for the flying monkeys." The colonel may have said more, but it was at that moment that the red flares erupted around them and the whole world dissolved into brief pain; replaced by a vast nothingness.


	6. Ch 06

Looking down, one could clearly see the man was hurt. It was obvious, even if one discounted the lack of movement or the blood that had soaked through the camouflaged clothing. His energy was just _wrong_. In the places where it should have flowed freely, it moved sluggishly or stopped altogether; the pathways having been blocked. To investigate the matter further would require energy - hers - and the woman didn't have much left. Helping the others had drained her more than had been counted on, and in the end she'd had to settle for sending them through the Chappa'ai with the hope that their own people could finish the process.

This one, however, wasn't so fortunate. She was too tired to heal all of the damage and lacked the strength to carry him much further. What was needed was rest, but she couldn't sleep yet; not with him lingering so near death. Were she to close her eyes now, the man would be dead before she awakened. But to put forth the energy to keep him alive for even a short time would sap her strength completely, which in turn would leave her vulnerable. While that concept wasn't pleasing, she knew there really wasn't a choice. It wasn't acceptable to just let the stranger die. Of course, she considered even while making preparations to share her life force, he might die anyway.

Calmly, if a bit wearily, she finished pulling him under shelter and immediately proceeded to make him comfortable. Though unable to decipher much from his outward appearance, he didn't move save the occasional raspy breath, the way his position affected energy flow spoke volumes to her. That done, she kneeled and placed her hands upon his stomach, one hand overlapping the other. Focusing on the unsteady rise and fall of his chest, a soft blue glow became visible and slowly soaked into his flesh.

Eyes closed, she delicately reached out with her mind and in that moment it happened, just as it always did. Awareness of every energy pathway burned brightly in her thoughts, bringing with it a knowledge of each injury, major or otherwise. It was all keenly felt by the woman as her healing force followed the natural channels within the man's body, mixing with the stranger's own energy. There was no resistance to the azure power she was imbuing him with, which meant all his defenses were gone - under normal circumstances another's energy would have conflicted at least somewhat with her own. The fact that it did not, told her his body was nearing total shut down.

Tendrils of the healing force wrapped around the major organs, burrowing into them like a worm might an apple, until the serious fatigue of each one had been driven away and they functioned at a life sustaining level, glowing a dim blue in her mind. That done, for the time being, she sent wisps of the power into the bones, allowed it to immerse itself into the spongy bone marrow with the task of increasing the production of blood cells. The energy would slowly cut back on the manufacturing of these cells until the man was more stable and the blood loss had been countered. Projecting one final thought, she reached out to the man's own mind and soothed the storm raging there; allowing him to drift into a peaceful dream.

Sighing, she withdrew the connection to him and sat back on her heels as a rise of nausea and lightheadedness threatened to strip away consciousness. Forcing herself to stand, she retrieved a blanket for the young man, securely settling it about him before dropping back down to the grass in a motion lacking any sense of grace and curled up, using an arm to rest her head upon. Now she could sleep.

-----------------

Jack was miserable. Sitting in the briefing room, head held up by fingers entangled into graying hair, brown eyes closed. He couldn't figure out what had happened, much less how it had happened. The colonel remembered leaving the Marsi village and entering the forest. He recalled being glad about getting away from those people, more specifically the hawk-gazed leader. There was also something about wolf tracks...

After that everything was blank right up to the point where he awoke and found himself lying near the Stargate. He hadn't seen anyone around and could only guess that Carter and the boys had gone back to the SGC. For the life of him, he couldn't believe they'd just leave him, but so much of what had occurred didn't make sense that he'd convinced himself that they went home. Not that it was hard to persuade himself into believing they had; his ability to think had been impaired. His head felt like a bomb had dropped next to him on the day of the worst hangover in history.

So he dialed Earth and went through the event horizon, only to find that none of the others had made it back. The depth of confusion he felt shone outwardly on his face and he'd been herded off to the infirmary for the once over. Aside from a few minor and _fading_ scratches, he didn't seem the worse for wear. Which puzzled him all the more.

Apparently the rest of the SGC was as perplexed as he was about the whole matter, which brought him back to where he was and why he was there. They were questioning him and receiving no answers - Jack lacked any to give. He was just about to tell Doctor Mackenzie, _like he needed a shrink, _where to shove it, when they heard the Stargate start up and the first chevron lock.

Instantly the headache was forgotten and Jack was on his feet racing towards the gateroom. He arrived in time to watch as Teal'c slowly stepped through the rippling surface, coming to a halt as he looked around with an odd dazed expression. In the Jaffa it was undetectable unless you knew him, which the colonel did. But aside from the faint trace of bewilderment, Teal'c was by all appearances in perfect health.

Jack grumbled softly as the headache from hell returned, brought on by the lack of anything being wrong with his friend. It served to remind him that he hurt. But that still was irrelevant, two members of his team remained unaccounted for. "Teal'c.. where are Carter and Daniel?" Jack asked the question without hope, knowing that had either of the others been around the gate the Jaffa would never have left them.

"I do not know O'Neill. I awakened next to the Stargate and believed that you had all returned."

Jack cocked his head as he heard his own false belief repeated aloud by his teammate.

"You both mistakenly believed the rest of SG1 had come back?" Hammond was curious now, he too knowing that the members of SG1 would never willingly leave one another behind. "What is the last thing you remember?"

"We were in the forest. Daniel Jackson was commenting on the population of wolves in the area. We continued on our hunt and.."

"And? Then what?" The General gently prodded.

"I do not remember."

"So we have no idea of the whereabouts of Doctor Jackson and Major Carter," the tone was slightly distressed.

The seemingly stoic look of the Jaffa was marred faintly by worry. "That is correct, General Hammond."


	7. Ch 07

Sam shook her head, trying to clear away the fog that had descended to cloud both her mind and her vision. She was mystified, but on the bright side didn't appear to be lost. They'd scouted the area on the way to the Marsi village so the landscape was familiar. Pausing, she glanced back in the direction from which she'd come.

That niggling paranoia of being followed continued to play with her conscious mind. It wasn't hostility the forest projected now, though she could still sense doubt. It was more like the feeling she had upon a new discovery. Was it actually possible for a place to be curious about those who entered it? She didn't know. For the moment it was a futile thought, and it didn't explain why she couldn't help looking behind herself every three or four steps.

Tightening her grip on the zat, the only weapon she'd managed to hold on to when.. what? Carter still couldn't recall what had happened. Everything until that moment had sharpened into crystal clarity within her mind's eye, then everything simply went dark.

She'd waken up in the forest, near a familiar rock formation, so she knew approximately where she was in reference to both the Marsi city and the Stargate. Judging by the state of her gear, the rips and simply missing bits of clothing - not to mention she was a bit singed overall, she guessed there was an explosion. That didn't make any sense, they were out in the middle of nowhere hunting for a 'monster' who by all appearances didn't exist. Then again, they hadn't been told exactly what to look for either. The Marsi had been so close mouthed on the subject. None of it made any sense, but Colonel O'Neill had just wanted to be gone from the company of that woman that they'd jumped on the task. They'd all been intrigued by the whole ordeal anyway. Twisting back around, she advanced down the path toward the city.

A low growl broke the silence of the woods and made her stop dead, alarm rising as she sought to locate the source of the sound. Sam couldn't pinpoint it directly; the soft threat echoed around her, baffling her senses. When her searching gaze had swept the entire area in a quick revolution and rested upon the path once more, she found it blocked.

The first thing she noticed was how sharp those teeth looked: the wolf's lips were pulled back in a fierce snarl and the pearly white surfaces of it's fangs could distinctly be seen. The sheer size of the creature didn't escape her notice by any means, and with the exactness that fear allotted, Carter's brain processed this information without delay. In those few precious moments that it took to understand the situation and to prepare to greet it, to begin raising the zat in defense, the wolf was gone.

---------------------

"SG-3 is preparing to travel to the planet."

"With all due respect, Sir, I think that's a mistake." Jack's tone wasn't argumentative, for a change, it was tired. The Colonel's face was drawn in pale, from the pain and stress of it all. He'd been back for almost four hours and they were no closer to understanding what had happened than they'd been upon his arrival. "We have no idea what's out there."

General Hammond frowned, his mind quickly conjuring up the memories of the Nem incident. He wondered now if both Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill were once more the victims of someone altering their memories and toying with their minds. Except that the Colonel wasn't suggesting that they not go back at all, just that they needed more information before heading back. How very cautious of him...

"Don't you think it would be worth revisiting the Marsi city to gather details on the monster they sent you to find?"

"I agree with O'Neill. It would be a mistake to return General Hammond."

"Why?"

"We didn't entirely trust those people to begin with, Sir." This was offered by Jack, as he recalled Daniel's reactions the nearly entire time he'd been in the presence of the Marsi called Renato. By the time they'd met the leader of the native people, all of SG-1 was feeling the same way.

"Are you saying you think they had something to do with what happened to you in the forest? That perhaps the story they gave you was false?" Hammond sighed, growing weary of the way the entire thing kept turning them in circles; allowing for no answers.

"Not entirely. Something killed off that Goa'uld, there's no doubting that."

"You said before that Doctor Jackson believed the creature responsible for Angitia's death to still be on the planet."

"Yeah, Daniel figured that this annual hunt was genuine and that the Marsi had seen their monster since the death of their 'goddess'." The scorn word held was not missed by the General.

"So where is it?"

-----------------------

Her heart had slowed down, although lasting traces of adrenaline still caused the edges of her vision to be indistinct. Sam was glad for the extra boost the adrenaline offered, exhaustion was setting in and her legs were shaking from the fatigue. In spite of the fact she needed to keep moving, she sat down on the fallen log she'd passed earlier and rested. It was either that or fall.

She'd abandoned the idea of returning to the city. After the episode with the wolf she'd originally meant to continue forward, except that a bird had convinced her otherwise by diving down at her. Instinctively Sam had used her arms to shield her eyes and by the time she'd dropped them to look around, the animal had vanished. Stepping forward on the same path, a shriek had pierced the air above her causing her to glance up toward the sky. Immediately she'd spotted the feathered stalker. It was circling above her, and as if to aid her in making the choice to retreat the way she'd come, it settled in a branch over the makeshift path.

It had followed her ever since. Now from her spot on the log, she found it watching her in a tree not too far away. It's amber eyes were unblinking, guarding the path to the city with a vengeance. Not that Sam was likely to try going back there now anyway. The new destination had been the Stargate, and thankfully she was almost there.


	8. Ch 08

Note: The wolf and bird are not meant to be the Salish spirits from season two's "Spirits". I actually haven't seen that episode yet, although since I have it I should watch it. I have read the transcript of it though, lol. I assure you, not the same beings. Both animals are really animals, sometimes… sort of…

------------

Sirens assaulted their ears as they exited the infirmary for the second time. Teal'c hadn't been in there near as long as Jack had been, mostly due to the fact Teal'c had Junior to help him out. Although, according to the telltale marks left in his clothing, without some outside help, there was no way the Jaffa would have made it - regardless of the immature Goa'uld. At least that was the opinion of one Janet Fraiser.

"Sir," a guard addressed General Hammond, who had accompanied the two members of SG-1 down to the infirmary. Jack secretly suspected it was to make sure Teal'c allowed himself to be fully checked out. "We're receiving a signal." The guard glanced at Teal'c and O'Neill. "It's SG-1's code."

With that the man was promptly pushed aside as both Teal'c and Jack raced to the gate room, Hammond following in a more dignified manner. They arrived in time to greet a very weary looking Samantha Carter, whose movements gave the impression that she was ready to collapse at any moment. Medics, who had been called down as soon as the confirmation of the code was gained, reached her side within moments and immediately took her towards the infirmary.

Briefly the other three stood there, exchanging glances. Then, with a roll of his eyes Jack made after the medics. He really was getting tired of all this, not knowing what the hell was going on. But at least one more member of his team was accounted for.

When they arrived, they found Carter being examined by Dr. Fraiser. Aside from an overwhelming fatigue, there wasn't anything wrong with her. Tests would be run for safety reasons, naturally, but Sam was able to talk while she was being checked over.

----------------

"I don't remember anything after that. There must have been an explosion," she added glancing down at the ravaged remains of her clothing. "When I woke up, I was in an area that we'd explored on the way to the Marsi village." Sam seemed puzzled as she tried to figure out how she got there.

"So you figured out your way to the Stargate," the General surmised.

"Yes Sir. At first I was going to head back to the Marsi village."

"Why didn't you continue there, Major?"

Sam shifted uncomfortably. It seemed silly, now. She realized that she must have overreacted when she had encountered the animals, but at the time....

"There was this wolf..."

"Wolf?" Jack was suddenly more alert. "Weren't we tracking a wolf?"

"Yes, sir. Sort of anyway. I don't know if we knew exactly what we were tracking. The wolf just came out of nowhere. By the time I reacted to it's presence, it was just..gone."

"So you decided at that point to return to the gate rather than continue to the village?" Hammond persisted gently.

"No, Sir. I still meant to go to the village. I started on my way again when this bird came at me. It was some type of hawk, I think. As impractical as it might be, sir, I believe it was trying to keep me from returning to the Marsi."

While Jack may have otherwise considered the idea ludicrous, he remembered the forest and the malice he had felt standing under the shadows of the trees. He also recalled how ridiculous he felt trying to explain that to General Hammond and Doctor Mackenzie. "There was just something weird about that planet, Carter."

Teal'c, though he remained silent, seemed to radiate agreement.

"So you didn't encounter Doctor Jackson?"

"No Sir."

A silence fell over the room as each present tried to figure out exactly where Daniel could be, and tried not to imagine what harm may have come to him. The latter attempt failed, and a sense of worry crept over them.

------------

He couldn't see a thing. The world refused to define itself in anything but varying shades of black, but due to the fact there were variances in the depth of darkness it told him one thing: there was a light source somewhere. He just had no idea where. Trying to focus on the problem only served to alert him that he'd been hurt; a jolt of pain shot down his spine to add confirmation to the general discomfort he felt, and he opened his eyes in surprise. Well, at least he knew why it'd been so dark...

Sunlight filtered in at odd angles from the walls, causing his photophobic eyes to narrow in protest. Wait a minute, _Walls?_ Just where was he? The last thing he remembered was walking in the forest.

Still trying to figure that out, he attempted to rise; ignoring the stabbing pain that continued to lance through his entire body. Automatically he turned toward the nearly inaudible sound his brain had detected without his conscious awareness, and froze. Blue eyes locked on red, and the two of them simply stared for what seemed an eternity. Then lethargically, the red-eyed creature laid down in front of the door, watching curiously.

Allowing himself to breathe, he slowly finished sitting up. Instantly Daniel froze again as the massive, snowy-hued, creature in front of him shifted it's body, as though to rise. Fear replaced the pain.

"Do not worry of Ca'eles, he will not harm you."

Twisting his body in order to locate the strange voice, he winced.

"You should not be moving so much, your body has not healed completely." A faint scolding tone immersed itself within the melodious voice and a woman came into his line of vision as she bent down. Reaching over, she gently prodded the area with her fingers before leaning back on her heels to meet his gaze. "It heals well, all things considered."

Glancing up from his abdomen, his face took on a dumbfounded expression. He'd never seen such blue eyes. What he took to be the iris was a deep, beautiful blue. Where the white of the eye should have been, there was a lighter shade of blue. There was an incandescent quality to them. "Who are you?"

"I am called Vala."

"Just Vala?"

The question provoked a small smile from the lovely woman, who rose to her feet with an easy grace. "Vala Kyair."

"I'm Daniel."

"Just Daniel?" The smile broadened in mirth, and Daniel returned it.

"Daniel Jackson."

"Well Met, Daniel Jackson." With that, she held out a cup to him.

Sniffing the steaming contents, he sipped the liquid hesitantly and found the mixture to be tolerable. He took another small drink. Quite decent in fact, even if it was just a tad too hot to be comfortably consumed.

"What is this?"

"A simple herb mixture. It will aid in your healing."

There it was again. "What exactly am I healing from?"

"You do not remember?" Vala seemed puzzled, then shrugged, a mannerism that seemed refined in her. "You were caught in an explosion within the forest. Your wounds were quite severe."

Ah, that was it. He remembered the blast now. "Where are my friends?"

"Those that traveled with you? They have been returned to the Chappa'ai. There was nothing more I could do for them that they could not do for themselves."

"They left without me?" Daniel was on the verge of a pout, he settled for disbelief.

"I encouraged them to believe things would be alright; perhaps that meant they believed you had returned already." Again she shrugged.

"So where am I now?" He glanced around at closely interwoven vine walls and felt the grass beneath his hands.

"You are yet within the forest."

He found himself staring at the cup he held, which was surprisingly empty. It was made from stone, clearly. Beautifully carved, the smooth object was white with veins of red and yellow running through it. Daniel may have continued with such thoughts, but his mind finally finished settling, losing the disarrayed state caused by both the shock of the explosion and the extent of injuries suffered from it. "Wait a minute. What about the monster?"

Now Vala was completely confused, he could tell. But, like before, she did not remain that way for long. He saw understanding light behind those odd eyes and lines of weariness etched into her youthful face. "You were hunting for the Marsi's enemy."

Recalling the feeling of distrust he had of the Marsi, and the doubt he'd held about the hunt, he still could do nothing but answer truthfully. "Yes, we were. Do you have any idea where it is?"

"I believe," she stated flatly, "_IT_ would be me."


	9. Ch 09

Stepping once more out of the gate, they arrived on the now familiar and unloved planet. This time there was nobody who stopped to gaze at the loveliness of the lush forest surrounding the Stargate, and those who were ordered to hold the gate looked around with distrust evident in their eyes. While they didn't exactly know what was here, SG-3 knew that there was _something_. They also knew that that was about all of the information anyone had.

They'd been told there wasn't a Goa'uld on the planet, but that was of little comfort when they'd been informed of the uncertainties regarding the 'monster' who had killed the snake. A known enemy was better than an unknown quantity, even if that meant they were dealing with a Goa'uld. As it was, they watched SG-1 make it's way into the depths of the forest, eventually vanishing from sight.

-

"Tell me why we're going back there again, Carter."

"Because they might know what happened to Daniel, Sir."

Jack considered this for a mere second before responding. "But weren't you the one who said that something was trying to keep you away from there?"

"Yes sir, but the idea that the animals around didn't want me to go to the village doesn't make any sense."

"It makes perfect sense. I don't want to go there either. There was something wrong with their leader, and animals are supposed to be able to sense that kind of thing, Carter." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes, sir." Sam hid a smile.

"Just so it's clear, I don't think this is a good idea."

-

"You?" Daniel's eyebrows shot up in surprise and puzzlement flickered across his face. "Why would they think you're their…" The archaeologist paused, hesitant to refer to the Marsi's monster given the circumstances. "Why do they think you killed their Goddess?"

"Perhaps because I did?" Scorn rested lightly on her features, giving a cold cast to her usually warm expression. "Goddess. As though it were a divine being rather than the loathsome thing it truly was."

"So you killed the Goa'uld, but you never told the Marsi what it was?"

Pausing at his reference to the alien race, though not shocked he knew the name, she finally spoke. Her musical voice was low, with an unmistakable sadness lingering in the tone. "They did not wish to hear. For so long they'd worshipped a false god, they could not face the destruction of what they thought they knew. I believe it scared them, to find their beliefs to be so fragile in truth – to find that they must think for themselves."

"But surely they must see their lives are better now." Daniel knew the loyalty that the parasitic race demanded of their subjects, and how far such people would go to prove it.

"They see nothing, hatred and lies have blinded them to it. They flock behind their … leader," she spat the word out, "and take the stories handed down to them as fact."

"Handed down to them…" Daniel repeated the words carefully, easily recalling the conversation between SG1 and the Coryphaeus, brought on by the young Marsi Renato.

_"The beast killed our Goddess."_

_"She will rise again!"_

_"Excuse me, how long ago did this happen?"_

_"Nearly 300 years."_

"300 years ago," the linguist stated softly. When the woman didn't respond, he continued. "That's how long ago the Marsi told us that their Goddess was slain."

"More or less." She didn't understand the significance of what he was trying to say.

"That means you're…."

"Over three hundred?" An amused smile dawned at the sudden discomfort of the young man, though the sadness still rested in her gaze.

"And you are not a Goa'uld." He winced as an indignant glare flashed in the woman's eyes. "Tok'ra?"

"I am in no way related to the Goa'uld."

"What are you?" Okay, not the smoothest approach to the question, but he had to ask.

She sighed softly, an almost lonely sound. "My people are called the Ka'rosh." Glancing at him, she picked up on the curiosity resting so clearly on the man's face. "It is a very long story, but suffice to say that we have fought the Goa'uld for millennia, since the first came."

"The first?"

She should have known the forthright answer wouldn't satisfy Daniel. Vala could tell he had an agile mind and an apparently insatiable curiosity. "Perhaps these are questions better left for another time. I believe we should get you to your people. They are looking for you."

"How do you…" Vala headed out of the structure, "…know that?" Daniel asked her retreating form. Looking over at Ca'eles, the massive wolf merely cocked his head at the human. If Daniel hadn't been so tired, he'd have sworn the animal was grinning.

-

They returned fire, but the forces were simply too much. Jack wasn't sure exactly how the fight had started – but his team had high-tailed it out of the village and now, from cover near the gate, they were holding their position in order that SG-3 might make it through the wormhole. He signaled for Carter to make a run for it, and as soon as she disappeared through it, he and Teal'c followed.

"Close the Iris!" Hammond yelled to the control room as a rain of energy, similar to zat fire, exited the Stargate right behind Colonel O'Neill. With the iris closed, the general made his way over to Jack, who, aside from a few minor singe marks, was alright. Already on his feet, O'Neill muttered, 'I told you that wasn't a good idea, Carter.'

"Colonel O'Neill?"

"Sir, the Marsi weren't happy to see us."

"I gathered that much. What precisely happened?"

"We went to the village as per your orders. Daniel wasn't there and the locals didn't know where he might have gone."

"Sir," Carter addressed Hammond. "They were very agitated by our presence."

"I believe the Marsi did not expect us to return to their village," Teal'c offered.

"So they shot at you?" Disbelief rang clear in the general's voice.

Jack shifted, "Not exactly at that moment. I may have mentioned that the Goa'uld aren't gods" He glanced down at the charred portions of his BDU's, "They didn't take the news well. Luckily, they don't have very good aim."

Sighing, Hammond ordered them off to the infirmary, shaking his head as he watched them go.


	10. Ch 10

Finally a break from classes... hope to get another, better, chapter out before school resumes...

* * *

"So they betrayed you?"

"I suppose that would depend on whose point of view you looked at the situation with. I consider that they used us, and when we were no longer of any value to them, they left us to our newly designed fate."

"Who were they?" The words were edged with pain, although Daniel tried to mask it.

Vala glanced over, then quickly surveyed the area while ignoring his question. "Perhaps we should rest now." She knew the man was tired, and wasn't above being weary herself. For most of the distance they'd covered so far she'd borne the majority of his weight, allowing him to use her shoulder as a crutch of sorts.

Slowly she eased him over to a fallen tree, allowing him the time he required to shift his weight into a sitting position upon a large limb. Once certain he was comfortable and had his balance, she removed her arm from around his waist and straightened with a suppressed groan. Vala was more exhausted than she could ever recall having been before, she'd used far too much energy in the last few days and given the scent in the air, could tell she would be required to use more soon.

Stretching, she took stock of their surroundings again while removing the pack from her back. The pack itself was light: she required few things that she could not find in abundance in the forest. On the other hand, she was not used to traveling with anyone besides the animals, and was unsure what might be necessary for the man. Best to be prepared. With that thought in mind, she set to gathering wood.

"We're staying here?" Daniel asked when he noticed what Vala was doing. He'd expected they'd reach the gate yet today, there was plenty of light left – sunbeams streamed through the leaves above them and outlined the forest in bright detail.

"There is a storm coming. This place will serve for us as well as any other." Given the fallen trees nearby, finding acceptable pieces of wood was an easy task and Vala soon had what was needed. She herself wouldn't require such a heat source, but she understood enough about humans to know that they did.

The archeologist frowned, glancing above them. What he could clearly see of the sky was a beautiful blue, few clouds marring it. "How can you tell?"

The query prompted her to flash him a smile. "I can smell it."

He wondered at that. He couldn't help but notice the traits Vala seemed to have in common with the wolf she traveled with. Even thinking about the massive creature caused Daniel to look around to locate the animal. Reassured that it was keeping it's distance, he relaxed.

"Ca'eles truly will not harm you."

"I wasn't worried," he covered, thinking the woman's ability to gauge his thoughts a little uncanny.

"Uh huh," she mused. She hadn't lit a fire yet, knowing that it would be a little while yet before it was needed. Vala disliked using more of the forest than was absolutely necessary, having the natural inclination of any animal to form an equilibrium with it's environment. From the pack she pulled two blankets, thin, but made of a durable fiber that was surprisingly warm. Laying them on the ground near the area she'd marked out for the fire, she glanced up toward the tree tops. Her gaze had an unfocused quality to it, as though her mind were far away. For several minutes she simply stood like that, unresponsive to the inquiries of the linguist. Then, slanting a look over at the white wolf with a nod, she returned her attention toward her human companion.

"I imagine you are hungry?"

"I could eat."

"There is some fruit in the pack, if you wish it. I would gather, from the forest, other things, but that would take time and we haven't much before the storm comes."

"Fruit is fine." Daniel wasn't all that fussy about what he ate. He'd just pulled a piece of food out of the bag when a screeching call sounded above them.

* * *

"Where are the members of SG-1, doctor?"

"I have them in the infirmary, General. They're worn out and I couldn't let them venture back to the planet without rest."

Hammond nodded, not in the least disagreeing with Fraiser's choice. He seldom contradicted her opinion when it came to the welfare of those under her care. She knew her business. "SG-3 just returned. Apparently there is severe weather on the planet now. Nobody will be cleared to go back until the storm has passed. It's best for them to rest." He didn't add that Colonel O'Neill, unable to put his energy toward looking for his lost teammate, would wear a hole in the floor and through the General's last nerve. Best that they all sleep, better for everyone given the circumstances.

Janet smiled faintly, understanding the look that crossed Hammond's features. O'Neill could be a bit obstinate under the most ideal conditions, which this definitely was not.

"Let me know when they wake up."

"Yes Sir." Fraiser had no doubt that the General would know when Jack was awake before she could inform him. She was pretty sure he knew it too.

* * *

Daniel woke up. He'd been sleeping for a few hours when something had torn him from the dream world and forced him to deal with reality. The fire had died down, and a deep chill had crept into his body. He briefly rested his eyes on the blue-tinged barrier keeping the bulk of the wind at bay, allowing only the slightest of breezes to touch them. Yet it was cold, and he rose to throw more wood on the fire, glad that the fierce storm wreaking havoc on the rest of the forest could not break the domed energy shield that covered a small area around them. Each motion was slow and precise, if a little unsteady.

Vala didn't stir, the cool air didn't bother her – though she enjoyed the warmth of fire and of the blanket snug about her form. The large wolf rested against her back, and kept it's watchful eyes on each movement the archaeologist made. Ca'eles didn't consider Daniel a threat, but it was in the creature's nature to be careful. After all, you didn't die once and not learn from the experience.

* * *

"General, you have to let us go back there."

"Colonel, the planet is undergoing dangerous winds among other conditions. Nobody will be authorized to return until we have verified it is safe to do so."

"What about Daniel?"

"We have to count on Doctor Jackson's having found a location to ride out the storm."

Jack didn't ask about what if Daniel hadn't found such a place. They all knew that if he hadn't, if something had kept him from doing so, nothing they did now would help him. "Sir, permission for SG-1 to go back when the storm does pass."

"Permission granted. Now go do something productive, Colonel."

"Yes Sir," Jack replied dutifully, intending to go back to his own office to pace there. On his way, he passed the infirmary to check on Sam. Teal'c had returned to his own quarters to perform kel'no'reem as soon as Fraiser had determined they would all be alright with some rest.

Sam was awake, eating something at Dr. Fraiser's insistence. She'd made Jack do the same thing, knowing they wouldn't think to do it themselves while a member of their team was unaccounted for.

"Colonel?" Carter was aware that Jack was annoyed about something, she was pretty sure she knew what – understanding completely.

Sighing, Jack answered. "General Hammond won't let us go back now. Some big storm or something. We have to wait until it quiets down." He knew it was only logical, but that didn't change the need to go back now.


	11. Ch 11

I know I should really check over this for grammar and the like, but I'm tired and wanted to post it. Will probably check it later and update it if I find anything really wrong.

* * *

Vala opened her eyes and found herself looking directly into a pair of golden yellow orbs. Smiling at the ruffled state of the bird, who under normal circumstances kept herself well preened, the ka'rosh stretched lazily and attempted to suppress a yawn. Allowing herself to focus, she frowned faintly upon feeling the restless, albeit slow, pacing of the human. "You should rest, the storm has yet to wear itself out." Vala refrained from mentioning her own desire to continue sleeping for while a small fraction of her energy had returned during her rest, the shield she had established around them for protection was a continual drain on already low energy reserves.

"I know, I was just thinking."

"About?" She inquired softly, eyes half closed.

"The rest of my team. They must be pretty worried about now, it's been a .." Daniel paused realizing he had only a vague notion of how much time had elapsed since the explosion. "While," he finished a little belatedly.

"Your presence soon will calm any fears they may have. For now we can do nothing but wait, which," she considered fairly, "would only serve to add to you and your friends' irritation, I imagine." Humans were an impatient lot, the ka'rosh had concluded this not long after Daniel had awakened.

"I know," the archaeologist repeated in a resigned voice. In an attempt to look on the brighter side, he asked how long Vala deemed the storm would yet rage.

Opening her eyes with some effort, she slanted a glance toward the darkened sky without moving her head. Pausing, she weighed the elements as best as she could. Air was so tricky, she distrusted it. Yet it brought rain, and the element of water was part of her as was the ground beneath her. "A few hours in your reckoning of time," she estimated. "Night has long since fallen, daylight will be upon us near the time the storm should break. We can resume our travels then." Her calculations of the storm were little better than guesses, she just didn't have the knowledge of the air that would lead to a reliable assessment. Mostly she judged it by the velocity the air still held, the amount of moisture still clinging to the skies, and the sounds beyond the barrier itself. It usually proved accurate enough.

"Why don't you sleep, your body is still healing and it does you no good to place unnecessary strain upon it. Rest while you can." Vala chided faintly as she herself slipped back into a light sleep.

Noticing that the ka'rosh had returned to napping, and accepting her views on the storm's passage as likely, he returned to his blanket on the near opposite side of the fire. He still wasn't overly comfortable at being near the red eyed wolf, who even now rested it's head on the slumbering woman's hip – gaze lingering, as ever, on the linguist. In silent acknowledgement of that, he'd taken a place to rest as far from the creature as possible, regardless of the assurances Vala offered on the creature's trustworthiness.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable shifting, he returned to dream-filled sleep, only to be awakened by something nudging his back. "Go 'way," he managed to mumble without really waking. The insistent prodding stopped, and he sighed comfortably. His victory was short lived, however. A cold, wet nose began to snuffle at his face. Pushing the muzzle away he refused to wake up immediately, until it occurred to his sleep filled mind just who was trying to wake him.

Blue eyes snapping open, he was greeted by the sight of the brilliant ruby gaze analyzing him. For a moment, Daniel froze. The wolf was apparently weary of the game, and forcefully pushed it's head under the linguist's hand – demanding attention. It was at that moment that Vala returned.

"You are fortunate, Ca'eles rarely allows anyone to touch him."

Daniel considered that, and found himself relaxing as he noted the animal wasn't going to bite his hand off or any other such unfortunate thing. Absently petting the large wolf, feeling a little self-conscious to be treating the large creature like a pet, he took in the scenery of the bright sky. It was still early, the singing birds and the slant of light through the trees above attested to the fact. Unhurriedly he rose to his feet, stretching protesting muscles as he did so. Brushing the sleep from his eyes, his mind completely clear and not required to focus on anything of immediacy for the first time since the explosion, he allowed his thoughts to drift. He found himself wondering at the clarity with which he was viewing the world without his glasses, which had met a poor end during the blast.

"How come I can see?"

Puzzled, Vala flashed an amused look in his direction as she finished packing up their supplies. "Perhaps because you have your eyes open?"

"No, that's not what I meant. Usually I need my glasses to see clearly," he wondered if he'd have to explain what he was talking about. Wouldn't be the first time some alien person didn't understand what the 'glass circles' he wore, did.

"I imagine that to be a side effect of the healing you underwent. My energy can, at times, have such influence. It will pass, however, as your own energy takes a stronger hold in your body."

_Darn. _He wouldn't have minded not needing glasses or contacts, in truth they could be a serious and annoying thing to deal with. Ah, well, he'd live.

She tossed him a piece of fruit, figuring he needed some sort of nutrition, and set to dismantling the area around the fire. The fire she had put out upon waking, warmth had already spread through the air and she deemed it unnecessary. Now she was busily removing the stones she'd placed around it for safety, scattering the ashes to feed the vegetation around and to allow for new growth where the fire had stood.

That accomplished, she hefted the pack and turned toward the archaeologist, who had finished his breakfast. "Ready?"

"Definitely." He automatically responded, then upon realizing how that sounded, rushed to explain. "Not that I don't appreciate your help and –"

Laughing, Vala raised a hand to stop him. "I understand. You are anxious to return home. Let us delay no further." Still smiling, she strode forward, walking at a steady but easygoing pace so as to make certain the man could keep up. While he was markedly better than he'd been even the previous night, he was not yet healed fully. She made sure to be near enough to offer aid, should he require it, but far enough away to maintain her own space.

She needn't have troubled herself though, four hours into the hike Daniel still appeared to need no help. His stride was coming easily enough, though sweat had gathered on his brow due to the sun claiming a higher position in the sky. The heat of the day was unleashed fully here as they'd departed the forest's edge and had cut into the sizeable distance from it and the Stargate.

Daniel was fairly happy. Vala had told him they'd soon be at the Chappa'ai. A few more minutes and he could make it out in the distance. He was thinking about how glad he'd be to get back to the SGC, to get a cooked meal and a shower, when the first energy blast nearly caught him in the leg.

Pulling him out of the way, Vala pushed him toward the 'Gate, which loomed less than a hundred meters in front of them now. He slowed down as they neared the DHD, but Vala continued to push him forward, raising one hand - palm facing the gate. For all appearances, she ignored the energy blasts fired in her direction.

For it's part, the Stargate suddenly burst into life and the chevrons quickly locked in on the desired destination. Pausing only long enough to allow the wormhole to stabilize, the duo literally fell through – Daniel catching a direct energy blast as they did so.


	12. Ch 12

Three chapters in about a week, that must be a record for me. Hopefully they're decent chapters.

* * *

They landed with a heavy thud on the ramp, facing a heavily armed group of soldiers. Vala sighed at the greeting, but had expected no better – Daniel's mind, unbeknownst to him, had prepared her for just this welcome. Shifting toward the archaeologist to assess his status, she watching in relief as he tentatively pushed himself into a sitting position, wincing only slightly at the superficial burn on his upper thigh. Rising, she offered him a hand which he gratefully took. Once standing, Daniel transferred the bulk of his weight to the unharmed leg and exhaled slowly.

"Doctor Jackson?" Hammond's voice broke the silence, "care to tell me what exactly is going on?"

"It's a long story, General."

_It always is, _Hammond thought, considerably relieved at the sight of the relatively unharmed Daniel. But there was another matter at hand. "Who is this?"

"General Hammond, this is Vala Kyair – she helped us out after the explosion on the Marsi's planet."

The general looked at the young woman standing at the linguist's side and wondered what she was. In essence, she looked like a human. Standing around five-foot-seven-inches tall, her body was slender and lithe. It was in the details that she differed. Her eyes were a vibrant, uncanny blue. The woman's hair, which hung down to her waist in soft waves, was a silvery-white in hue. Even if a person managed to accept all of that as normal, her stance and the manner in which she observed everything, was reminiscent of an animal. He had noticed that particular similarity primarily when Teal'c had stepped closer to Daniel, the woman's nose had begun to twitch slightly, as if she were testing a scent within the air.

Jack moved forward, speaking now. "She's not one of the Marsi."

"No, she isn't. Jack, Sam, Teal'c, meet the Marsi's monster."

"**_She's_** what they've been hunting for three hundred years!" Jack's voice rose in disbelief, something that soon reflected on numerous faces in the gate room. Having said that, his mind clicked in on another relevant bit of information about the Marsi's 'beast'. "Those people said that their monst… are you telling me that she's the one who killed the Goa'uld on that planet?"

"Uh, yeah."

For a moment O'Neill merely looked at Vala, then he smiled. "I guess we owe you one." When his words provoked confusion, he continued. "Saved us the trouble."

In the few minutes that it took for the conversation to occur, Janet had arrived in the embarkation room and had immediately gone to Daniel's side. Finding the only visible wound to be very minor, she indicated to him that he was to come to the infirmary to get it cleaned.

Hammond nodded his agreement, holding his questions for the debriefing. "Report to the infirmary and get checked out." His gaze rested on the strange woman. "Both of you."

At this inclusion, the Ka'rosh raised a snow-hued brow and she questioningly turned to Daniel.

"He wants you to be examined," Vala seemed about to protest so the archaeologist hurriedly continued, deciding to present it to her in terms she'd appreciate. "To make sure you're not a Goa'uld."

"I understand."She lowered her head in consent and followed the dark-haired woman in front of her, aware of those who trailed behind.

As soon as everyone was seated, less than thirty minutes later, General Hammond looked directly at Vala. "How did you get through our iris?"

"General?" Daniel's face momentarily held a trace of confusion before he seemed to grasp the problem. "I never sent my code through for you to open the iris. We should have been killed." He suddenly looked at the Ka'rosh. "How did you know the address for Earth? For that matter, how did you activate the Stargate in the first place?"

"My people found the dialing device unnecessary, our own energy is capable of powering the Chappa'ai. Under normal circumstances I may have used the Ancient device instead, however the situation demanded we depart as quickly as possible." She paused briefly before moving on to the other questions. "I found the address for your planet, as well as the warning of your.. iris.. from within Daniel's mind."

The archaeologist nearly choked on the coffee he was attempting to swallow. "You what? Are you telling me you're telepathic?" When the word produced no comprehension, he explained. "You can read minds?"

"Yes and no. At the moment there is the chance of my picking up on your thoughts."

"At the moment?"

"I am not, what you would call, telepathic. However, in healing you, you're body now contains a great deal of my energy and as a side effect, we are somewhat linked. Even now, however, it would require close proximity to you for me to determine anything of your thoughts."

"That doesn't explain how you got through the iris." Jack was a little uneasy by the whole ordeal and still a bit miffed by the dealings with the Marsi.

"My species is predominantly an energy based life form, capable of breaking ourselves down into a nearly pure energy state. In such a manner, passing through most objects becomes possible. Because the energy in Daniel's body is, in a large percentage, mine, it allowed me to do the same to him."

"I feel a connection to you," Sam stated bluntly to the woman.

"As do I," Teal'c confirmed.

Jack sensed their eyes on him and nodded. "Yeah, why is that?"

"For the same reason as Daniel, your bodies hold within them traces of my energy. Do not worry," she continued, noting the exchanged glances, "as your bodies regain strength, your own energy will prevail and destroy the last remnants of mine. As that occurs, any bond with me will fade completely."

"Well, that explains the foreign element that I found in Doctor Jackson's blood." Fraiser piped up, having remained silent until now. "I found traces of the same element in the dried blood on the rest of SG1's clothing, however their test results showed no sign of it. I plan to continue to monitor all of SG1 until it's completely gone from all of their systems." It wasn't that she didn't trust the stranger, exactly, it was simply that yes, the woman was a stranger added to the fact that Janet refused to let anything like that go unwatched.

"Keep me informed, Doctor." Hammond responded, pleased with the quality of work that was a constant in the people under his command.

"Yes Sir."

"If you healed us, why did I wake up alone by the gate?" Jack suddenly asked.

"You were the first I came upon. When I found you, I was not aware of there being any others. As I was healing you, I noticed the Jaffa. Initially I disregarded him, having no intentions of aiding a servant of the Goa'uld. However, when I realized that he was not evil and did not serve the Goa'uld, I realized I would have to settle for mostly healing you and returning you to the Chappa'ai in the hope that your own kind could aid you with any further requirements. I left you there knowing that you soon would wake up, and that you would know that all would be well."

"How could it 'all be well' when my team was still on that damn planet?" Colonel O'Neill was tired, quite apparent to all, and it reflected in his speech.

"I did not know more than the Jaffa existed, and I knew he would last long enough for my return. I left Ca'eles to guard him in my absence. With a little aid, the Jaffa would live. When I'd finished with him, and proceeded to move him, I noticed a third pack and that was when I found the woman." Vala stopped, briefly indicating Sam with a glance. "She was badly wounded, and I had to hurry. There were voices in the forest."

"The hunt."

"Yes. I knew it was only a matter of time before they came across you all. I gave," she paused once more, disliking having to keep referring to the blonde female as 'the woman.' "What are you called?"

Carter smiled for the first time, "You can call me Sam."

The Ka'rosh nodded, then went on. "I gave Sam enough energy to sustain her, and used a portion to shield her after hiding her within the brush. I then sent Ca'eles and Lasha to keep the hunters busy. Once assured that the Marsi would not soon cross the area, I hurried to bring the .."

The big Jaffa, understanding, supplied his name.

"I hurried to bring Teal'c to the Chappa'ai and in haste returned to where I'd left Sam. She was alright, as I had counted on, and the voices were no longer a threat for the time. However, as I was carrying her to the Chappa'ai I almost fell over another." Vala turned her shimmering blue gaze on Daniel. "I no longer had the luxury of time. I was forced to bring Sam only a fraction of the way back and hope she could make the rest of the journey on her own. I then returned in haste to where I'd left Daniel. He was worse off than the rest of you, I think he may have been nearly on top of the device when it exploded. By that time Ca'eles and Lasha had come back, and I sent them to make sure Sam was alright."

"The wolf and the bird!" Carter exclaimed suddenly.

"Yes."

"Speaking of them," Daniel cut in, "Where are they?" He recalled seeing them until they all stated being fired upon.

"Do not worry," Vala smiled. "They are safe."

"Why wouldn't they let her go back to the village then?" asked Jack. "I know the Marsi are a little creepy, and they don't like you at all, but they could have helped her."

"They would have found a way to kill her. While I don't deny the Marsi's hatred of me, it is important for you to note that they sent you out into a forest that had various explosives hidden beneath the ground. Unless I am mistaken, they did not mention those to you?" The low, strangely accented voice made it a statement rather than a question. She knew the Marsi well enough to know they'd intentionally sent the humans out into the forest with the idea that they would end up just as they did.

"Are you saying they were intentionally trying to kill SG1? Why?" Hammond found the idea hard to grasp. Not that all civilizations out there were nice, but this was a first using this particular method.

"The Marsi dislike any who are not just as they are."

"I knew I didn't like their Cor… leader." Jack growled.

A faint, humorless, smile turned up the corners of Vala's mouth. "She is the worst of them. The rest of the council are but her puppets. She has absolute rule there, as her family has had since the departure of the Goa'uld."

"So," Hammond spoke, calling their attention back to the topic at hand. "You sent a wolf and a bird to guide Major Carter and then?"

"I did not have the energy to heal Daniel completely. I was not sure I could even keep him alive for long, for I needed rest and the voices were nearing again. As swiftly as I could, I brought him back to my home and once there, proceeded to heal him to the best of my capabilities at the time. Enough that he would live until I had rested. His recovery, as a result, was slower than the rest of yours and it took a good deal of time to bring him to the Chappa'ai."

"Once you got to the Gate, Doctor Jackson, what happened?"

"We were almost immediately under fire, sir. We came through the gate," he shrugged, since all of that had been covered. "After that storm, I don't know how the Marsi knew we'd be there, but apparently they did."

Jack looked sheepishly at his friend for a moment. "We might have had something to do with that."


	13. Ch 13

Not sure when I'll have time for the next chapter, but it should bring a bit of action back into the story so may be worth a little wait. Maybe not. Who knows.

* * *

"What did you do, Jack?" Daniel looked over as O'Neill began explaining what had occurred when SG's 1 and 3 had gone back to the planet. Complete with a detailed, nearly comical, had the situation been less serious, description of the Marsi leader's expression when Jack informed her, matter-of-factly, that the Goa'uld were not Gods.

"I'd say that explains why they were waiting. They probably thought you'd come back again." The archaeologist sounded tired, which was hardly astonishing given the long day he and Vala had endured. When Hammond suggested the linguist get some rest and they continue in a few hours, Daniel waved the concern off. He was still curious about a few things. "The Marsi, Renato, mentioned that the slayer of their Goddess was capable of altering it's form." He glanced thoughtfully at the Ka'rosh before continuing, "A therianthrope, of sorts, I guess."

"There have been many names for my people." Vala seemed to accept the term the linguist offered to describe her.

"Daniel?" Jack cut in questioningly.

"Therianthrope. Um, it's derived from a couple of Greek words. 'Therion' and 'anthrōpos'; respectively meaning 'wild animal' and 'man'. A metamorph, shapeshifter, skin-walker…" The archaeologist noticed the familiar expression resting on Jack's face and proceeded to something with more relevance. "In many ancient cultures, including the Navaho, such a species was considered evil and the ability to change as you can could only be accomplished through an ill deed – such as eating the flesh of a close relative."

"How flattering," an ironic smile played on Vala's lips briefly before vanishing to be replaced by a look of distaste. "We do not eat the flesh of our own kind, alive or dead."

"Well, myths generally stem from some truth," Daniel put in before considering the words fully, his curiosity wanting to know what truth could lie in it.

For a moment, the odd blue eyes of the Ka'rosh flickered. "Fear, that is what causes such stories. Fear does not require truth."

"True," the point was conceded readily by the linguist, "I only meant that.."

The snowy haired woman absently waved the words away with a slender hand. "I know. I suppose it is only fair to acknowledge that my species is not perfect." Her lips curved into a small, but genuine, smile.

"Hey, who is?" Jack offered.

"And you are correct, myth does generally stem from a particle of truth." The words prompted a raised brow, followed by the inevitable question.

"What truth is there in what they said?"

"We are a species of what you might term 'shapeshifters', even if that was not always so. And while we have never sought to harm those we shared a planet with, things happen."

"You weren't always capable of changing your form?"

"No. It was something bred into us. Or perhaps it was merely a side effect of the experiments. That is something I can not be certain of."

Those listening could not help their curiosity, the questions raised by the Ka'rosh's words.

"Bred into you?" Daniel asked.

"Experiments?" Carter said at the same time.

A sigh brushed over Vala's lips, brought forth by the knowledge a history needed unveiling and not having the desire to do so. "It is a long story."

General Hammond looked around the table, assessing those present and noting the exhausted appearance of Daniel. "Why don't we take a break and Doctor Jackson can get some rest. I believe Dr. Fraiser would like to examine our guest further." When Janet nodded, Hammond made it an order.

Vala, for her part, took the news that she was to be subjected to more testing, in good stride. These particular humans seemed trustworthy enough, their surface intentions calmed her mind as she read them. She hadn't lied when she'd told them she couldn't read thoughts, it wasn't as simple as that and rarely as definitive. Her people could simply _feel_ the strong intentions of others.

She rose and followed Fraiser out the door, answering the onslaught of questions from the doctor as best as she could. She understood, if nothing else, that the small, dark-haired woman was merely trying to access the impact the Ka'rosh energy could have upon those under her care. The concern was something Vala could respect. And, on the other hand, Vala was also tired. She deemed the coming tests would allow her body to rest.

Daniel watched Janet lead their visitor away with a little worry evident in his features.

"Don't worry, Danny, Fraiser might be a little needle happy but I don't think she's going to hurt your friend." Jack half-jokingly spoke, attempting to relieve a little of the archaeologist's apprehension.

"I know, I think I'm just tired."

Jack gave his friend a reassuring pat on the shoulder and then the rest of them left the briefing room, intent on making sure their teammate got the ordered sleep.

* * *

"Unauthorized offworld activation - INCOMING TRAVELER."

"Close the Iris." General Hammond instructed.

"I'm trying, Sir. It's not responding," the tech sounded very alarmed, as well he ought.

"Well, do..." the general's voice trailed off as he saw who it was coming through the event horizon and watched as Colonel O'Neill walked down to greet the unexpected visitor.

"Thor, 'ol buddy!"

"Greetings O'Neill," the grey alien responded.

Head tilted slightly, Jack continued, "Not that we aren't happy to see you, Thor, but what are you doing here? I get the feeling it's not just a chance to drop by and say hi."

The grey head dropped marginally in acknowledgment, "I have come to see the Ka'rosh."

"The who?" Jack's look of confusion lasted only a moment before a light bulb seemed to appear and the expression vanished. "Oh, the woman who helped us out."

"Indeed. She is one of the Ka'rosh."

"One of? I could have sworn Daniel told me that she was the last of her kind." Arching a brow that rose still further when he detected a look of unease from the Asgard.

"As far as we know, she is the last of her species."

"What happened?"

"Please, O'Neill, I need to speak with her."

Jack nodded, still perplexed at the show of hastiness, and he gestured for Thor to go with him out the door. Pausing a moment, shaking his head, he proceeded to follow the Asgard up the stairs back into the control room. "Where's Daniel?"

"Last I saw he was in the infirmary with our guest."

"Have him bring her here," General Hammond responded.

Jack watched absently as the soldier rushed off to do as she was ordered, then returned his attention back to the small alien. "So, Thor, what's up?"

Instead of answering, the alien watched the door, still showing signs of discomfort which only became more obvious the moment his quarry entered the room. What also became apparent was why Thor wasn't comfortable.

'What can I do for you General Hammond? I --" Whatever she was going to say was lost as an expression of pure hatred flared onto a face that had been serene a moment before.


	14. Ch 14

"What do you want?" The words and acidic tone were directed at the Asgard alone, as was the hostile glare from Vala's overly bright eyes. Those nearby could do little more than watch the scene in a twisted sort of fascination.

"I came to seek your aid." Thor spoke bluntly, as was custom of his kind, and there was an earnest seriousness to him that sobered the room immediately, so that the laughter came as a complete shock.

"My help?" the Ka'rosh's mirthless laughter continued. "Your species always did have a lot of nerve. What vanity would possibly lead you to believe I'd ever help you?" Not waiting for an answer, nor giving any sign of caring for one, the soft, emotion-filled voice continued. "I would gladly encourage any suffering of the Asgard."

"I had hoped -"

"Hoped what? That I would have gotten over it? That I would have moved on and forgotten?"

"Maybe forgiven."

"Your species does not deserve forgiveness."

Finally a new voice interjected, "Excuse me, will someone please explain what is going on here?" The general had had enough and wanted answers. Some good reason for an old ally and a possible new one to act in such a manner against each other.

Those angry blue eyes turned on him then, although the tone used to address Hammond was restrained. "The Asgard are your friends and allies?"

"Yes, they are."

"Then I demand to be allowed to leave."

"You're not really in a position to demand anything," Jack countered.

"O'Neill," Thor started to speak, only to be cut off by the general.

"Until I know exactly what is going on here, nobody is going anywhere."

Bristling in anger and indignation, blue energy flared outward from the silver-haired beauty, causing everyone in the control room to drop, writhing in pain. The agony was quickly replaced by an inability to move. Seizing the intended opportunity, Vala quickly departed down the flight of stairs and entered the embarkation room. With a wave of her hand the doors closed, barricaded by an energy that would allow none of the quickly recovering humans to enter.

"Get down there and stop her!" Hammond yelled at the guards, who moved as fast as they could to obey, only to find the doors were holding fast against all attempts to pry them open. Most of those present had, by this time, managed to drag themselves to their feet again and stood watching as the Ka'rosh walked up the ramp and raised her hand, palm facing outward toward the gate.

"Close the iris," Hammond instructed in a last ditch effort to bring a semblance of control to the situation.

"I can't, Sir. Her energy is apparently affecting the computers." Carter's voice was strained. The energy they'd been stunned with was having a slight but lasting affect on the majority of those hit.

Suddenly the gate came to life as chevrons locked, which wasn't surprising since that's what they had figured she was going to do. What was unexpected was that Vala's head snapped up in alarm at the sound and she dived away from the Stargate moments before it opened, narrowly missing the onslaught of raw power caused by the unstable wormhole. Rising to her feet, she backed away - every muscle taut and ready for action, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

The suspicion proved founded as a Goa'uld walked through the event horizon, glowing eyes instantly focused on the sole occupant of the room, hatred clearly etched into his face. "Ka'rosh." A single word, spoken harshly.

Moving slowly, reminiscent of animal circling it's prey, Vala didn't respond. Supple muscles rippled silkily under her skin with each motion, and when the leap came, the Goa'uld was caught off guard. Using her weight, strength, and the element of surprise, Vala managed to knock the parasite backwards, upsetting his balance. Without wasting a second, she delivered a series of kicks and punches, each landing with the precision that could only come from a born fighter.

All of those in the control room, minus Thor, looked on in rapt awe, unable to completely believe what they were seeing. The woman was going hand to hand against a Goa'uld and she was winning, her fighting ability and style far exceeding that of this particular snake. He managed to deflect some of the blows, but ultimately he wasn't able to collect himself and made a mistake. It proved to be all that Vala needed. Diving forward, she drove the blade of her knife, which had seemed to materialize from nowhere, deep into the host's heart. That done, she quickly wiped the dagger and replaced it before laying her hands on the fallen enemy, engulfing the form in blue energy. Slowly, the body seemed to lose structure, falling in on itself. From the wounds, smoke seeped, permeating the air with a foul stench and indicating to any who saw, that the body was burning from the inside out.

That done, she turned to the Jaffa now stepping from the gate. Not bothering to wonder why they did not proceed the Goa'uld, as would have been custom.

Raising her hand in an instinctive response, azure energy flared up around her acting as a shield from the staff weapon blasts sent her way. Then with an apparent effortless flick of her wrist, the energy surged outward and enveloped the Jaffa, killing all but one who'd managed to dive out of the way and was now trying to move behind her. Pivoting, she turned away from the gate to keep her enemy in sight.

Weaponless, the Jaffa attempted a feint to throw her off guard. Allowing him to believe his bluff had worked, she shifted her weight as though to block him. As the Jaffa lunged forward to the opposite side, she shifted again with animal swiftness and countered. The knife reappeared and entered his forehead - the only viable option on this one given his armor.

Now facing the window to the control room, she paid the people no attention. Had she, she would have noticed the change in their expressions as they gazed behind her. As it was, senses shouted a warning only a moment before her eyes widened in shock and the whole world exploded in agony that effectively dropped her to her knees. Frozen, she could smell the Goa'uld now. The scent was so strong she could taste it, and she fought the urge to throw up.

Casting a disinterested glance at those observing, unmindful of the sounds by the doors indicating the flurry of activity in trying to get them to open, the parasite came to stand in front of the fallen Ka'rosh.

Tilting her head back, though the muscles of her neck protested, Vala gazed in contempt at the enemy - or rather the red-haired female host. The Goa'uld, for her part, watched in mild amusement - although anger was present. Hatred.

Raising her hand, revealing the tell-tale hand device, she placed it near Vala's forehead and, eyes glowing, activated it.

The Ka'rosh gritted her teeth, nails digging into the flesh of her palms to keep from crying out, but the lack of response only served to enrage the Goa'uld further and the pain quickly increased. Unable to help herself, Vala screamed as every nerve in her body was set on fire. It was hard to concentrate, every time a thought attempted to form it was washed away in waves of agony. She'd managed to silence herself and attempted to block out the hurt. Summoning the centuries of training, she gathered her own energy together and used it to push back - slamming the Goa'uld into the nearby wall. Released, Vala slumped forward.

Shaking her head, the Goa'uld was also trying to regain her bearings. Slowly, as the moments passed, they both began to stand. The Ka'rosh backed up at a steady pace, her movements less graceful: the pain and weariness more pronounced with each step. Eyes shimmering, the blue barrier once more erected itself around her a second before the enemy weapon slammed into it. Vala clenched her teeth and held on, knowing that death was imminent. She could feel her control slipping, weakness would cause her shield to fail.

Smiling in victory, the Goa'uld moved forward as the cerulean construct of the Ka'rosh faded. Derision evident on arrogant features, she delivered a lazy, though powerful, backhand to an opponent whose arm moved miles too slow to block the blow. Now standing with it's back to the gate, the Goa'uld raised it's hand, amber stone glowing, and sent the barely standing Vala through the air. Her skull connected with a solid thud against the control room window, leaving an iridescent blue-red blood trail as the nearly lifeless body slid down the wall, coming to a sprawling rest on the ground.

The world was a spinning, hazy mess as Vala tried to open her eyes. Everything seemed so surreal, even when she dimly felt her hair being yanked back, saw a shadowy figure leering down at her. When it lifted her up, she couldn't feel the hands that held her. Didn't notice their release, or the momentum her form gained as it sailed through the air. She didn't even feel the thing that slowed, then stopped her flight, but her vision had cleared momentarily. Enough for her to gaze down at the object now protruding from her midsection - stained with her blood.


	15. Ch 15

The pole broke under the strain of the woman's weight.

"Get those doors open!" Hammond's voice rang out sharply, his mind unable to fully believe the situation before him. He knew that his people were doing everything they could to break into the gate room, but at the moment there were no results for all that effort. Clearly, in spite of the severe wounds the woman had suffered, whatever energy she had instilled into those doors to keep them closed was serving its purpose well. He couldn't help but wonder if the only way for them to gain access to the embarkation room would be for Vala to die. He had to hope that wasn't the case. Along with everyone else in the control room, for now, all he could do is watch as the Goa'uld approached the still, impaled form of the Ka'rosh.

The red-haired host smiled, the Goa'uld's feeling of triumph causing an evil gleam to rest in her eyes. Standing before her enemy, she spoke, obviously meaning to gloat. "Kree Ka'rosh…"

Abruptly the words were halted as the blue energy, that was slowly rising from Vala's body, became tangible, and a massive white form shot out; barreling straight into the Goa'uld and sending it flying backwards. Red eyes blazing, the wolf snarled and promptly sank its teeth into exposed flesh.

Wrenching the hand device from its owner, the wolf tossed the object away from himself and barely took notice as a shriek sounded from the remaining blue mist; echoing harshly in the contained space.

Lifting itself up on powerful wings, flashing a cold look in the general direction of the parasite, the hawk dived immediately at the discarded weapon. Gripping the cool metal in her talons, feathered limbs beating effortlessly a few times, she glided to a high perch and dropped the item on it; out of reach to all incapable of flight.

Meanwhile the wolf backed up, keeping his crimson gaze locked on his target. Briefly toying with the idea of ripping into the throat of the host; going for the vital artery located there. Instinct told him to do it; experience told him to stay where he was. He listened to experience.

Rising, the Goa'uld retreated a step as the implications of the situation set in. In all of the universe, in all of the legends of the Goa'uld, there was only one race capable of the things being seen. "Vanir," the cruel tone held a trace of disbelief and.. _fear_? Whatever emotion was present on the host's face vanished as the doors suddenly opened and she found herself the target of more than the wolf's animosity.

Understanding that the enemy was not about to depart with ease, Ca'eles spun around and trotted back toward Vala, concern clearly marked upon the animal's features. Reaching her, the wolf nudged at her face; a whine collecting deep in its throat when the action garnered no response. With every intention of trying again, his body stiffened and his ears pricked up. Turning his head, ears flattening against his skull, he growled and flashed razor-sharp teeth at the strangers attempting to approach. _What did they think they were doing?_ He didn't know them.

Apparently they had the same realization, the armed men stopped with their weapons half raised, uncertain of whether to fire on the creature or not. Without a doubt it was trying to keep the ka'rosh safe, but it was also a threat to them and should it decide they were a threat to it…

Luckily the possible situations never occurred. Daniel arrived and pushed past the guards.

Ca'eles visibly relaxed. He knew Daniel. Daniel would help. He wagged his tail briefly, ears pricked back up in an almost friendly manner.

"You have to let them help her," the archaeologist spoke softly to the large animal, less than a foot in front of him, as he indicated the approaching medical staff with a brief flick of his hand.

The wolf cocked his head slightly to one side, barring his teeth once more in a snarl as one of the med techs got too close for Ca'eles' liking. Again he heard Daniel's low, soothing tones.

The wolf understood the necessity of healing. He just didn't know these people, and, therefore, instinct told him it was dangerous. Red eyes slid over the fallen form of the Ka'rosh, then dropped noticeably to the thick liquid shimmering on the ground; pooling out from under her. _There's too much gone,_ Ca'eles thought. He could feel the weakening of his bond-mate's life force.

Despondently, he allowed the threat to die on his lips and backed away; burning gaze locked on the rather pretty substance whose vast presence meant something utterly bleak. In his mind he heard only silence, but Lasha's solid presence was comforting. Together they watched the humans remove the unresponsive Vala, and together they felt the otherwise imperceptible tremor of energy unleashed in the room. Sadness lingered and knowledge flashed unspoken between the two, passed in a single glance.

If that dark-haired human didn't figure something out soon, together the hawk and wolf would mourn.

-----------

"There's nothing I can do." A frazzled, disheartened Dr. Fraiser responded grimly. "Her body make-up is different than anything I've ever seen. Externally, she very much appears human in most respects, but internally…"

"How can she be that different?"

Bypassing the more obvious responses, Janet continued, "She has most of the same organs we do, but they predominantly seem unnecessary. Vestigial remnants of when they were more like the current evolution of humans."

"So she evolved from a former incarnation of the human species? Like the Ancients?" Daniel wondered why that possibility hadn't occurred to him before.

"Probably. Now she's more energy based then anything and I can't figure out a way to replenish what she's lost."

"Pizza?" Jack offered helpfully.

Janet smiled wearily. "Earlier Vala told me that her species has not required food to sustain them for centuries. I could try a few electrical shocks, but I'm not sure what kind of effect that would have on the way energy transfers in her body. In a normal human, we know the added boost can restart the heart. In her, it could well shut down her entire system and I wouldn't have the foggiest idea how to restart it."

"So, what? We just wait for her to die?" Eyes widened, the archaeologist gave Fraiser the most disbelieving look she could recall receiving in a long time.

"Easy Danny, Doc isn't suggesting that. Right?" Jack's outward calm tried to ease the tension in the room.

"No, I'm not. We're running tests on the blood collected from both the floor in the embarkation room as well as from Vala, herself. So far we've learned that the 'energy', for lack of a better word, in her blood continues to exist even when it's left her body. It appears to enter a dormant phase, however."

"Then how do you know it's still there?" O'Neill ignored the ill-tempered look Hammond shot him with practiced ease.

"Her blood emits a low, yet detectable, charge. It shows up just like any electrical output."

"Do you have any ideas at all, Doctor?" Hammond, too, was tired. It had, after all, been a very long day for them all.

Hesitating only a moment, Janet responded slowly. "The only possible solution I've been able to come up with so far is the off chance of reintroducing the energy she expelled, in the form of her blood, back into her. Now, obviously with a human this wouldn't work and I'd never suggest it. But humans don't have that extra substance in their blood."

"The energy."

"Yes, whatever that is."

"Do you think it could work?"

"I'm not sure, sir. In all likelihood it will fail, but it's all I've got right now and she doesn't have long."

General Hammond took a moment to consider the implications, then with a sigh he gave Fraiser the permission to get started. He watched the doctor leave, then turned to Thor. "You're sure you can't do anything?"

"I regret that I am unable to offer assistance. The ability to heal one of her species with our technology is severely limited. In the Ka'rosh's current state it would be futile."

"Has anyone thought to wonder how those Goa'uld knew they could get through our iris? I mean, how did they know the precise moment she would take over the system?" O'Neill's tone was mild, as though asking a simple, run-of-the-mill question but the alarm in it was unmistakable to those who knew what to listen for.

Silence was the only response he received for several moments.

"What are you suggesting Colonel?"

"Just find it very good timing on their part, is all."

"Extremely good timing, Sir." Sam nodded. "Or ridiculously good luck."

"Or a spy."


	16. Ch 16

Tired. So very tired.

Fatigue had set in long ago; worked its hooks deep into each muscle until she couldn't feel any of them anymore. She didn't open her eyes; couldn't have even if she'd wanted to - which she didn't. Through the lethargy that had descended upon her, logic couldn't find a reason to bother any longer. The end came for all creatures, in some fashion, she was no different.

_It would have been nice to have gotten the other one, too. _The wry thought skittered on the edge of consciousness, melding with the rest of her thoughts into a soft hum that filled her mind.

She could feel the others; dimming pulses of light that still stood out in contrast to the haze that everything else had blended into. Vala was sad to be leaving them, but they would survive.

The tender melody hovered persistently, lulling her into a deeper sense of peace – pushing to the fore the desire to simply give in, to let go. There was nothing to prove; she'd done what she could and that was more than many before had accomplished. Still, there was one matter to take care of…

The fog began to sharpen as she concentrated. Objects and sounds around her seemed to momentarily solidify, but the nature of the matter she had yet to take care of eluded her, and the focus slipped away.

These humans, maybe they would do it. They were a resourceful lot. Vala smiled inwardly at the odd justification she felt at having not judged the species by the examples the Marsi, and various others she'd met, had set.

If anyone could do it, maybe they could.

She forgot what she'd been thinking about then, but the soothing hum didn't allow her to mind. She felt the gentle falling sensation again, and this time she didn't resist.

--------

The wolf was frustrated. He could feel the energy flowing away from his bond-mate but was not able to figure out how to keep it from vanishing completely. Already the light that was Vala had darkened in his mind. It had gone from a bright flare, almost painful in its intensity, to a soft glow. Soon she would cease to glimmer at all, and the only remnants of her would be that thin shell which contained far more than these humans could imagine – even in Vala's present state. The knowledge, the experience, the raw power. Gone. Or at least fading quickly.

Ca'eles growled his aggravation, matching the thunder he distantly detected coming from the surface. The sound caused Lasha to look over at him; yellow eyes unblinking. In a brief moment of connection, those orbs expressed what he already knew: Lasha was worried too.

They couldn't just join with Vala; she'd drag them into death with her, without her energy starved mind ever recognizing them as more than sustenance. He wasn't concerned with his own existence, but it would be a waste Vala wouldn't approve of – considering there wasn't even a marginal chance of success. Lasha and he existed on comparatively less energy. It wasn't enough.

What they required was a vast power supply but not just any would do. It had to be compatible and sadly few sources, that he'd seen here, were. Electricity would likely kill her in her current state. Whatever was going on in that mess that was now Vala's mind, such an introduction of electrical output would break the processes down further; destroying any connections that still existed.

No, he reasoned, the human doctor had been right about not trying that – even if she didn't fully comprehend why. Ka'rosh were funny when it came to such electrical energy sources. On some they'd thrive, while on others they'd suffer grievous wounds and possibly die. Goa'uld technology was like that, and, thus far, humanity's seemed to be as well.

They needed something more subtle to her nature…

These people weren't much help, Ca'eles decided with a purely mental snarl. Casting an irritated glance at Daniel, he watched as the human took a drink of water. For a moment the wolf's senses stretched out, uncanny in their acuteness.

In the distance Ca'eles heard the thunder rumble once more.

Now he could feel it shake the skies. The lightning flared up brightly in his mind as the smell of moisture in the air grew heavier. The gentle pattering of rain soothed his anger, causing his eyes to close...

Ruby orbs flew open, startled. How could he have been so stupid?

Slanting another glance toward the small group of humans, assuring himself of their preoccupation, Ca'eles crept out the door and padded silently down to the infirmary. Humans wouldn't understand and he didn't have the patience or, more importantly, the time, to deal with them.

Lasha, having traveled to the surface, screeched in echo of the thunder. She knew. She understood. But that didn't mean anyone not of their bond would.

Warily, he entered the infirmary. By scent alone he knew the precise location of each individual in the room. Of those present, only two were awake and on their feet: the woman doctor and a man whom Ca'eles recalled having seen earlier. Some sort of energy specialist, the wolf remembered.

They were deep in a quiet, yet intense, discussion. He could hear the uncertainty in their words clearly. Neither of them knew what to do.

He ignored them. They weren't looking at him, and that's as far as his concern of them went. Knowing well that his movements went unnoticed, he darted to Vala's side through the private room's open door. Once inside, he paused.

Ca'eles really couldn't think about what he was attempting. It was dangerous, for both of them, but that wasn't the problem. He didn't know if this was possible, but it was the only way to move her that he could think of – short of dragging her limp form out the door with his teeth. Not that that method would hurt her, at least no more than she already was, but it was slow and someone would inevitably see them and attempt to stop him. That couldn't be allowed.

Leaping easily on the bed, managing to avoid stepping on the slight form of the Ka'rosh, he connected to her primary energy pathway and without hesitation, pulled.

For a still, seemingly endless moment, nothing happened. Then slowly he felt himself being drawn in. He resisted, prompting another stalemate. Energy clashed, and as it did, memories washed over him in an overwhelming rush.

His life had ended long ago, in reality. The wolf only existed now because of Vala. He remembered when she'd found him near death, after he'd had an unfortunate run in with hunters on his home planet. They'd hunted him for sport. He had understood that even then, although he'd never comprehended the why of the situation. In those hours of being stalked, he'd learned hatred of other creatures.

But Vala was different, and he'd sensed that immediately.

The Ka'rosh had shown up out of nowhere, unseen by those who were attempting to locate his body for a trophy. She'd kept his energy from dissipating, used the power of her race to force it to shape and substance – of a sort.

Vala had offered him a chance at further life, and he'd taken it. He was a wolf, accepted death for what it was and without fear. But something about her offer was enticing. Perhaps it was something about the Ka'rosh, herself, that had truly appealed to him. The first person he'd met who wasn't destroying all she encountered. Ca'eles could sense it through a link she'd established. She had done it so that he could search her mind, to understand the nature of what she was and what his acceptance would mean – for the both of them.

In searching, he saw the precarious balance she'd struck with nature. Saw the courage, strength, and compassion that she had carried with her through the centuries. But, he had to be honest. It wasn't any of those traits that made him agree in the end. Along with all of those things, he'd sensed loneliness.

One of her species was never meant to be alone.


	17. Ch 17

Reflexively, her mind protested the intrusion of energy. With an innate response, her life force warred with his, though the Ka'rosh was never aware of it. The match lasted for a few endless minutes; a life-or-death game of tug-of-war. Finally, Ca'eles felt the hold that Vala had, over her form and power, loosen. Her unconscious mind faltered under the attack and he knew he'd succeeded: the outcome something he had hoped for… even while fearing the implications of such a victory.

In another jerk, Vala's body began to turn intangible – seeming to dissolve in upon itself, until all physical traces of her existence were gone. The only testament to her passage: the still visible indent on the bedding, hinting at a body outline.

The wolf didn't spare the room another glance as he leapt off the bed, landing softly and bolting out the door without so much as a break in stride. Stretching his senses out, pushing their uncanny acuteness to the limits, in order to detect any possible obstacles before they had a chance to become a problem. When possible, her preferred to avoid danger rather than court it as Vala sometimes appeared to.

As it was, he was aware of the soldier long before he was forced to deal with her, giving him plenty of time to plot out a simple strategy for getting past.

_Run. Dodge. Run. _

Yeah, like he needed time to come up with _that_ one. But overly simplistic or not, it would suffice. Evading detection, by this point, was irrelevant. If they hadn't noticed Vala's absence yet, they soon would. Speed was the important factor now.

That thought foremost in his mind, he bounded toward the guard near the elevator. Never did hesitation register in his muscles; not even when the alarmed soldier raised her weapon in startled defense.

_So much for dodge_, he thought absently.

Oh, bullets wouldn't kill him - they were only metal; not energy. But he didn't care for the idea that the guard might hurt herself or another of the humans around. Only metal or not, a bullet would easily kill one of this species, and Ca'eles knew that the little metal projectiles could travel through some solid matter – like walls.

He didn't sense anyone else nearby, relatively speaking, but that was guaranteed to change; and soon.

_Cannot take the risk_, came the unbidden thought. For a moment he wasn't sure if the thought was his or not. It was mildly unsettling.

_I wonder if this is how Vala feels because of us?_ The idea was promptly discarded as he eyed the solider warily. Vala's species was meant for such mental intrusions, something they had considered a uniting factor rather than a burden. And maybe it was, for them, a blessing to exist in one another's mind without effort. From what he knew, the Ka'rosh had lived in harmony with one another for thousands of years.

Yes, for them it had been a blessing – something that had turned into a curse for his friend, as the last of her kind.

_What must it be like to go from the closeness and security that the combined mental consciousness of an entire species provides; from hearing the voices and feeling their presences – to having that connection severed, left alone in the silence?_

He wondered, but didn't truly know. Vala rarely spoke of her people; of the centuries before she'd met him and Lasha. He could only imagine how it felt to someone, used to the soothing murmur of voices, to only hear their own echo.

Odd. He'd never thought of it like that before.

Meeting the shocked green gaze of the woman, directly, the crimson eyes were distant as some corner of his mind, contemplating history, attempted to wrestle for his present attention. With effort, he ignored it, moving forward, though around the soldier. He gave the human as wide of a berth as he could, motions precise and unthreatening.

As he made the last few steps toward his goal, a voice down the hall shouted in warning. The soldier, momentarily distracted, turned back in time to see the wolf vanish through the wall.

-------

"A wall?" The tone of the question mirrored the irritation on the general's face.

"Yes, s-sir," Kingston stammered. She knew she'd messed up; she couldn't help it. Trained for so many possible things that the air force had conceived of, she'd frozen when faced with the wolf.

_They never trained me for that! _

And what was she supposed to have done when a wolf, the size of a small pony, came sprinting toward her? Leash it? And when it had moved through the wall – it wasn't as though she could go after it.

_Although that would be cool.. _

"Kingston!" The annoyance in his voice informed her that he'd noticed her slipped focus.

_Dammit._

"Sorry, sir."

"Organize your unit, get them on the surface looking. That animal can't be allowed off of this base."

When she'd stood there an extra moment, he practically yelled. "Dismissed!"

There wasn't much she could have done, you know." Daniel commented once the door closed, blocking the retreating form of Kingston from view.

"Would you like to explain that to the president, Doctor Jackson? Not to mention how we allowed an alien wolf to escape the base and pose a potential threat to the citizens of this country?"

Jack snorted softly.

"I don't think Ca'eles will do anything." The archaeologist shrugged, noncommittally.

"Can you guarantee that?"

"No," Daniel admitted.

When another snort of amusement escaped, Hammond turned to his second-in-command with a glare.

"Is something amusing, Colonel?"

"Alien. Wolf." He snickered, expression turning sheepish when the General didn't laugh.

"Sorry, sir," he echoed Kingston's earlier words – noticing, as he did so, that Carter was holding back a laugh while Daniel had an almost pained expression lingering on his face.

He never got the chance to comment on it, though, for at that moment a disbelieving Janet Fraiser entered the office - without bothering to knock on the door before opening it.

Hammond was about to bite out a sarcastic remark about the wonderful manners instilled in his people today, but remained silent as he noticed the doctor's confusion.

"She's gone, sir."

Daniel shot to his feet, a look of utter shock and sadness crossing his face – unable to settle on one expression over the other. "She's dead?"

Puzzled, Janet arched a brow. In less than a second, realization dawned. "Oh, no. At least, I don't think so. I can't be sure of that right now."

"Explain, please, doctor." Patience was thin already, for Hammond. What was left was quickly being stretched to a breaking point.

"She's gone. We can't find her anywhere."

"You lost a patient, doc?" Jack was bordering on a playful jab, but the seriousness of the situation wasn't lost on him.

"We were trying to figure out how to best approach re-instilling her lost energy. One minute she was there, the next…" Fraiser shrugged, not liking the helpless feeling she still had, growing in the pit of her stomach, any more than she enjoyed having 'misplaced' a patient. One who couldn't have gotten up and walked out under her own steam.

"Is it possible she left of her own volition?" the General's timing of the question was ironic, but Janet couldn't even smile.

"There is no way that she would have been able to have gotten out of the bed, let alone left the infirmary without notice. She was in critical condition."

"But you, yourself, stated your lack of understanding of her species. Is it possible that, for her, this is natural?"

"General, it is my opinion that she couldn't have woken up if she'd tried, let alone actually rise."

"The wolf."

Jack's abrupt words caused everyone to look at him as though he'd grown another head.

"What?" A tinge of defensiveness entered his tone as he looked back at them all.

"The wolf?" Daniel questioned. "Are you suggesting that Ca'eles moved her? Kingston was just in here and didn't mention anything about having seen Vala."

"What if there was some other way to move her? She is mostly energy, isn't she?" The colonel blinked, clearly expecting someone to take his thought and run with it. Unfortunately, he was disappointed for the moment.

"Colonel, it's a wolf."

"_Alien_ wolf."

"Jack has a point."

_Yes, finally! _It had taken Daniel a few seconds longer than usual to get what he was saying, but better late than never, Jack reasoned.

"Doctor Jackson?"

"We only know what Vala has told us, since Thor wouldn't say anything before returning to his ship. What little she did mention was about _her _abilities. We don't have a clue as to what either Lasha or Ca'eles are capable of. You mentioned the possibility of normalcy, sir. What if this is normal for them? Some kind of defense mechanism. Maybe they're trying to save her."

"Are you suggesting that they removed her from the infirmary, where her best chance at being helped lay, because they're trying to save her? It seems to me, Doctor, that they're only hastening her death."

"Maybe they don't think so."

Hammond's reply was cut off as one of Kingston's unit entered the office, sweating and clearly surprised about something.

"Sir! We located the wolf on the surface, the alien woman is with it. The animal won't let us near her." There was a noticeable pause. "She seems to be…"

"Yes?"

A look of discomfort passed over the man.

"She seems to be glowing, sir."

-----

"Yeah, she's glowing alright." Jack offered unnecessarily.

Daniel no more then quirked a brow at his friend's firm grasp of the obvious. Silently, he gazed at the still form of the Ka'rosh; though it was hard to make out her form due to the light her body was projecting. Squinting, he noticed that the, seemingly all encompassing light, was actually made up of small areas of flesh that were shimmering.

Each time a new raindrop landed, the spot of skin underneath would glow softly – adding to the overall illuminated effect. Moreover, the open wounds, that had viciously marred Vala's body, were fading. Most had vanished altogether; only the major wounds remaining, though substantially smaller than before.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one who noticed.

"It's the rain," Sam whispered. "It's healing her."

"Vanir," Daniel muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

Jack looked over, waiting for the linguist to continue. When Daniel failed to take notice of those awaiting further explanation, O'Neill cleared his throat loudly.

"Care to enlighten us, Daniel?"

"Oh, sorry. I was just remembering something the Goa'uld said."

"How did you hear the snake?"

"It wasn't hard to read her lips from that close. At the time, it didn't seem relevant, though. Or, rather, as it seems, I failed to comprehend the significance."

Jack blinked again. "Let's pretend I didn't understand where the explanation was in that, and try again."

Daniel opened his mouth to say something, when his friend cut in.

"And please keep in mind we're all standing out in the rain, getting drenched, while you're telling us about it.

"Vanir; that's what the Goa'uld called Vala. I didn't make the connection until now. The Vanir were gods in Norse mythology."

"I thought that was the Asgard?" O'Neill looked perplexed, although he wasn't the only one.

"The Norse had two separate, very distinct, races of god. There were the Asgard, who were said to rule over the air, and there were the Vanir who were said to be the gods of the earth and water."

Hammond looked at the Ka'rosh. The brilliant light had dimmed down to a faint glimmer; the new raindrops failing to produce much more than brief contact flickers. By all appearances, the wounds were healed. Superficially speaking. Without having her checked out once more, lingering internal damage remained a possibility. And getting her checked out was going to prove difficult if they couldn't get near her.

Ca'eles barred his teeth to anyone who so much as _looked like_ they were thinking about trying.

"Doctor Jackson?"

"Sir?"

"Do you think that that wolf will let you approach again." Clearly it was not lost upon Hammond that Daniel had been the one person Ca'eles had let near Vala after the fight.

The archaeologist shrugged. "I can try."

Without waiting for a reply, he moved forward slowly.

The wolf sat down, watching him and giving no indication of the fury that had kept the others at bay.

Daniel swore that Ca'eles _wanted_ him to move her. At least now. The archaeologist wasn't foolish enough to believe that the wolf would have allowed him to get near Vala until whatever was supposed to be happening, happened. Apparently it had.

Trying to move her as little as possible, in case anything was still injured, he picked the light form up and proceeded to head back inside; Ca'eles right on his heels.

------

Once Vala was safely back in Janet's care, the rest of the group assembled in the briefing room, clearly intent on learning more about their new friend.

"So, gods huh? Teal'c, have you heard of them?"

"I have not."

"How do we know they're not evil then?"

"Remember Jack, the Asgard have been believed as gods by the same cultures. And mythology speaks favorably about them."

"What do you know about the Vanir?" Sam asked, thoughtful blue eyes locking on him.

"Honestly, not a lot is ever said about them. They were peaceful deities associated

with fertility and prosperity. Supposedly they lived in a separate one of the nine worlds, called Vanaheim. _They_ also have the interesting distinction of being called the gods of light."

"So how does this explain what she is, and why she bolted when Thor arrived."

"Yeah, that actually makes sense now." Daniel admitted. He'd been as confused as anyone when that had occurred.

"It does?"

"It's said that the Vanir sent one of their own, Gullveig, to the Asgard or Aesir as they were called. Because of her apparent love for gold, and endless chatter about it, the Asgard grew annoyed and they tortured and killed her. When the Vanir demanded compensation for their loss, the Asgard declared war on them."

"What did they ask for?"

"To be recognized as equals."

Several of the gathered couldn't hide their surprise.

"If they're enemies, why did Thor come looking for her?" Jack didn't mention the torture part, he was having trouble believing the little grey aliens could do such a thing; not to mention to wage a war for a reason like _that!_ Even if human history showed occurrences of the very same situation, he expected better of them somehow.

"I don't know." Daniel took his glasses off, rubbing a hand wearily over his face.

"So, who won?" Sam was curious, couldn't help it.

"That's interesting. It seems that in spite of their peaceful natures, the Vanir were actually winning over the more war-like Aesir, who were forced to deal with one loss after another. Eventually, the Aesir chose to stop the war and agree to the Vanir's demand."

"What did they do?"

"They exchanged hostages." A faint, wry smile formed on Daniel's lips.

"It was meant to tie the races together; to ensure peace. While the Vanir sent their smartest and best, the Aesir sent Vili and Mimir. Though Mimir was truly intelligent, Vili was not. At first the Vanir believed him to be, due to Mimir's constant advice giving, but it turned out that the Asgard had tricked them. In retaliation, they sent the head of Mimir back to the Aesir."

"Ouch."

Daniel looked troubled suddenly, and it was clear that a new thought had struck him.

"What is it, Danny?"

"Gullveig. I just remembered reading somewhere about her death. The Aesir supposedly tied her up in the Hall of Odin and perforated her with spears. When they set her on fire, she came back to life. They tried burning her three times, in a magic fire, but every time she was **_'reborn'_**."

"Wait a minute; are you saying she was a Goa'uld?"


	18. Ch 18

Still need to fix this chapter up, but eventually I'll redo the whole story, so it can wait until then. Working on getting the information out of the way so the fun can begin. It's a necessary evil.

-----

Daniel shifted uneasily.

"I believe so, yes. Although there is nothing to indicate that she's actually dead."

"Are you saying we have a snake out there whose host can do what Vala can?" He'd like to have said he didn't believe that, but Daniel was usually right about these things. He ignored the fact that it had only been a matter of days since they'd discussed something similar about Angitia.

_Besides,_ Jack figured, _that _would_ be our luck._

When Daniel nodded an affirmative to the possibility, Jack couldn't help but sigh before turning to Teal'c.

"And you've never heard of her?"

"I have not, O'Neill."

"Terrific," came the annoyed response.

"Relax, Colonel. Don't you think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves here? We're not even sure this Gullveig is alive. The fact that Teal'c has never heard of any such Goa'uld may even be an indicator that she isn't. Until we know more, we really can't do anything. And until Vala wakes up, or Thor returns, we have limited options. In the meantime, it is my recommendation that you all get some rest."

It wasn't just that SG-1 was starting to look like they were dead on their feet, fraying around the edges, that made Hammond give the 'suggestion'. Truth was, as they all knew, if this turned into something; then things were likely to happen and happen quickly. Rest should be taken while it could be.

And they still didn't have a clue as to who had known to dial the gate when they had – or, perhaps, more unsettling, how they had known it in the first place. The Goa'uld they currently had in confinement wasn't offering up any insight on the situation.

Once the gate was activated from offworld, assuming no code was received, the times that iris was left open were few and far between; usually when they simply weren't able to close it. But that was the problem: Vala had been the reason they couldn't close it and nobody had known, including her, he'd wager, that she was going to do that. Which meant that the Goa'uld , or whoever was in charge, had terrific intel or SG-1's sort of luck.

He could refuse to believe any of his people had committed treason, but to disregard a possibility like that, regardless of how much he'd like to be able to, would only prove a bane. It was foolish and he hadn't gotten to the rank of general by being stupid.

Of course, all things considered, if there was a traitor, it could only be someone in the select number of people who had been present in the control room. Otherwise they'd never have been able to get such a message out so quickly. While that was still a larger number than he'd like, it was better than the whole base.

Hammond sighed, rising and making the short trek to his office. Thor was coming back, eventually. Until then they would all just have to sit tight.

Without a visual sign of annoyance, the general sat down and dug into the pile of paperwork sitting before him on the desk. While he didn't care for the task any more than Jack did, he was unable to get by without doing it like his second-in-command seemed to be able to. Proof that while being at the top of the food chain had its perks, it also had its dire drawbacks.

As the work thinned out a bit, he glanced toward the clock and was surprised to find that over two hours had gone by. Deciding to follow his own order, Hammond grabbed his coat and left his office. He needed a few hours of sleep after the long day that they'd all just had. Doctor Fraiser likely wouldn't leave; snagging a few hours of rest in her office – if she allowed herself the luxury at all.

She'd call if anything changed.

Secure in that knowledge, the general departed Cheyenne Mountain

-----

Head draped across massive paws, Ca'eles listened to Vala breathing. The steady rhythm was soothing to his mind. He was aware of the increase in activity around him and some corner of his brain told him of dawn's arrival.

They constantly checked the machines hooked up to the Ka'rosh. Taking readings. Dimly, Ca'eles wondered what they had to measure those numbers against. They didn't know what a completely healthy and well-rested Vala was like. He assumed they were using the results of the woman doctor's earlier tests as a base.

The human had been impressed, apparently, by her findings about Vala. She'd never known how depleted the Ka'rosh was by that point. How slow her reactions had gotten. But Vala was improving, he knew it. He could have told them that Vala would be fine, if they'd asked.

Of course, nobody did ask him. Never mind the fact that even if they had, he wouldn't have been able to communicate with them.

Closing his eyes, trusting in Lasha to keep watch, he drifted into sleep.

Lasha continued the vigil, guarding over both of her bond-mates.. even if wasn't completely necessary.

----

By the time Jack arrived on base the next morning, things were already interesting. Arriving in Hammond's office, to get the latest, he rubbed is hands together in half feigned eagerness, eyeing the bald general with a certain gleam in his gaze.

"So, what's up?"

"Good morning Colonel."

"Good morning, sir. .. So. . what's up?"

Hammond briefly toyed with the idea of messing with his subordinate but dismissed the notion almost immediately. It wasn't kindness that caused him to do so, but rather a desire to remain sane.

"A little over an hour ago, Ms. Kyair awakened. Doctor Jackson is currently with her, as I believe are Teal'c and Major Carter."

"Sir, permis-"

"Permission granted." Tossing a small pile of completed paperwork into a basket, he glanced at his door in time to see it close behind a cheerful Jack O'Neill.

Hammond just shook his head.

----

Pausing at the entrance of the infirmary, Jack took in the scene, somewhat surprised. Hammond had said that Vala was awake, what he failed to mention was that she was already up on her feet and giving one of the med techs a difficult time. The man, obviously not pleased about that fact, was attempting to get her to lay back down. Vala wasn't having any of it.

"I do not require any of your aid." Her tone was patient, yet there was an undercurrent of something dangerous in both her voice and her movements.

"Nor do I require more rest." The last wasn't wholly accurate, but truth be told, she was restless. Something was gnawing away at her subconscious, demanding her immediate focus, and she couldn't concentrate enough to figure it out. Regardless of what she'd spoken, she was still tired and regaining her equilibrium amongst all the activity and noise going on around her was proving to be more difficult than she'd first counted on. Luckily Lasha and Ca'eles were being silent, for the moment. She had no doubt that that would change fairly soon, but for the time being it was greatly appreciated.

And there were other matters to be dealt with. Someone had recently tried to kill her - well, many people had, in all actuality. She had no doubt they were the pawns of someone who, in all probability, still very much wanted her dead. That concept really didn't bother her. It wasn't the first time for such an event, nor was it likely to be the last – assuming she survived this one. But it was an old game.

The fact that Goa'uld were involved just upped the ante.

Right now, that little detail was one of the only things keeping her from killing the Asgard. Whatever else she might think of the worthless creatures, she couldn't convince herself they'd align with Goa'uld – especially not just to kill her. Being the last of her species made her a limited threat, at best. She wasn't vain enough to believe any of them would bother.

Not that she couldn't do some damage, but in the grand scheme of things the results would be minimal.

Still, she wondered how the Asgard had known she was here at all. It was entirely possible they'd been monitoring Earth and recognized her energy signature – it was somewhat unique in the universe. But why had they cared? The only possible explanation was that the Asgard wanted something – help with something, she seemed to recall – and that _really_ wasn't going to happen.

She had no idea what it was, and honestly didn't care.

Vala hadn't yet managed to bring herself to hunt down and destroy the Asgard, as a whole or individually; vengeance wasn't a trait of a Vanir's normal personality make-up and she'd had troubles dealing with its onset.

Familiarity with hatred had come with that of revenge.

In spite of the passing centuries, since the downfall of her kind, she hadn't gotten past the verbal realm. Once in awhile, if she indulged the pettiness, she would curse the existence of the Asgard. Curse the day the spineless creatures ever set foot on Vanaheim. She might even allow herself to blame them for all of the misfortunes that had befallen her species.

Somewhere, however, she knew it wasn't _entirely _true. Only so much of the responsibility could be lain at the feet of the Asgard. In the end, the Leaders of the Vanir had made their choice; to help a species who'd brought them nothing but pain and trouble.

Whatever worth the Leaders had seen in the Asgard, Vala now failed to, but aside from those rare moments when she let hatred overshadow reason, she couldn't fully condemn them – couldn't bring herself to act physically upon her feelings.

That didn't mean she was going to help them. She might not have been able to bring herself to consider them prey, but she wasn't going to stop anyone else from doing so. She might have even wished them luck, if the hunters were anything other than Goa'uld.

She couldn't help the irritation that was rising; due in part to the nerve of her enemies as well as the fluttering about of the human in front of her. He may well be one of those responsible for the health of the people in this facility, though she knew he wasn't in charge, but she didn't really care about that either.

And, of course, she fully realized that she was behaving as a child.

That struck her as amusing, all things considered. She smiled, albeit faintly, and kept up a calm front.

"I appreciate your concern, but I will be quite well on my own. There is nothing more you can do for me." That, at least, was completely true.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

This time a genuine smile formed. "I am certain, Daniel."

The linguist grinned in return, and she couldn't miss how relief eased the worry lines that had etched into his features.

Humans really were an odd lot.

"General Hammond would like to speak with you, if you're up to it." Sam, who like Daniel and Teal'c, had remained quietly observing Vala with the infirmary's staff. She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Janet had been here to deal with it herself. Nobody argued with the petite doctor, on her turf, and won. It might have been interesting.

Ah, well. Probably best that Hammond had ordered her to rest when the Ka'rosh had awakened with no sign of injury.

"And how are we all doing this morning?" Jack asked happily as he finally strolled forward and made his presence known. He'd already known that Fraiser wasn't awake, but the scene had been entertaining anyway. For once, it wasn't him arguing with them.

"Good, sir. How're you?" As if she couldn't tell by the smile lighting his face.

"Terrific!"

"Someone's in an awfully good mood this morning." Daniel arched a brow in polite inquiry.

"Must be what a good night's rest will do," he replied with a contagious smile. "So, briefing room again huh?"

When Sam nodded, he briefly sighed. "Well, I suppose it could be worse."

------

Twenty minutes later, he found himself sitting between Carter and Thor. Vala hadn't spoken a word since the Asgard had returned, but her tense muscles combined with the narrow gaze she fixed the little gray guy with, clearly stated that things hadn't changed. Of course, now that Jack knew some of the history, or at least the mythological take on it, he understood the situation a little better. Not that he believed for one minute that the Asgard had actually tortured anyone.

Looking at Thor, who was seated at Jack's right, he found himself reconfirming the idea. _Not a chance in hell._

He looked directly across the table at Teal'c and Daniel, then lifted his gaze slightly to glance briefly at Vala; who stood motionless behind the Jaffa and linguist.

"So…."

"I'm trying to understand this situation," Hammond said, moments later, unwilling to endure this impasse anymore until he at least comprehended what the problem was. And he wasn't looking for the myths, now. He wanted the real deal. "Because I believe that in order to accomplish whatever it was you came here for," he said, looking directly at Thor, "We're all going to have to work together."

An oddly empty voice answered him, as Vala finally broke her self-imposed silence: "There is nothing to discuss. I will not aid the Asgard by any means. I merely await your consent on my departure. I do not wish to harm anyone again."

"That action was not warranted, you realize."

Those odd, overly bright, blue eyes truly focused, for only the second time since Thor's first arrival, on the Asgard. "I do not believe I was speaking to you. I neither require nor seek your _grand wisdom_."

She may have appeared calm and detached, but underneath she was seething at being forced into proximity to the Asgard once more. She could leave, but she wasn't foolish enough to risk a repeat of earlier events. She'd hurt people then, and it had never been her intention to do so. In anger, one did not always act wisely. It was a lesson learned long ago, and one she occasionally still found hard to remember when it was vital that she do so.

"I do not believe myself to be wiser than you are."

"Funny, now when did that happen? Have the mighty Asgard fallen to the same depth as the Vanir? Would not the Leaders faint to hear such a thing.."

"Stop!" Hammond's voice cut through the room with authority that effectively shut the two up. Thor merely blinked at the outburst. Vala arched a brow elegantly, almost challengingly. But the expression vanished and she maintained the commanded silence.

"This isn't getting us anywhere. Now, as I _politely_ asked earlier, I want to know what history the two of your races share. Ordinarily it's not the policy of the SGC to interfere in other species' relations, but you've brought _someone's_ attention to us. I'd like to understand why and just who is knocking at _that_ door." He needlessly pointed to the stargate just beyond the window. Looking at the two 'guests' in turn, his expression plainly showed an expectation for answers.

Almost strangely, it was Vala who began the story. Her tone was low, once more painstakingly devoid of emotion.

"Thousands of years ago, my people lived peacefully in our world. We had a close bond with the ground and water, due in a very large part to our energy based natures. It was from these elements that we had long since learned we could draw sustaining force. Peace reigned on the whole of the world. Until…"

"What?"

"One day the skies darkened and the ships of the Asgard came. They were seeking aid against their enemy."

"The Goa'uld?" Daniel asked.

"Yes."

"Weren't they your enemy too?"

She shook her head, gaze distant as she recalled the memories. "We did not know of them yet. The Leaders refused to act, at that time. We were not warriors; we were not meant to be."

"And then?"

"The Asgard departed."

"And that's the reason you hate them?" Jack was incredulous.

Turning a nearly lifeless gaze on the human, she continued. "Soon after they departed, one of the Leaders, Gullveig, began to act strangely. She became infatuated with technology and her research."

"Why was that odd?" Sam couldn't fathom why being into your work was abnormal.

"She was not a scientist. Never had she shown an interest in our technological advances .. or our genetic ones. Suddenly she was consumed with ideas of bettering our species and using our ships to leave the planet. It was not long before some of my species began to vanish. It was anomalous, for no one could hear their voices."

"Hear their voices?"

"Vanir were linked through our minds. We could hear one another, sense one another's presence."

"I thought you weren't telepathic." Jack said suspiciously.

"Outside of my own species, I can not communicate in such a manner. Since my species is effectively dead, I do not believe that I fit anything near your definitions of the word."

"You were saying..?" Hammond interrupted before Jack could continue pressing that particular issue.

"Gullveig was later discovered to have been experimenting on the missing, who by that time were found to be dead.

"Attempting to create something so beyond what the Vanir were, that the first who saw could not begin to understand the implications. She advanced our genetic makeup to a nearly pure energy state."

"I thought that's where you are now." Sam was puzzled.

"Yes."

"If she killed all her subjects …"

"I was not one of the original subjects. I came into existence nearly a century later."

"Wait, a minute. This entire story you've been telling us, you've told it as though you were there." Jack was beyond suspicious now.

"In a manner. Memories are passed down genetically, I remember what my father saw. In many ways, it can seem as though I was there. By the time I was born, the Asgard had returned and Gullveig had vanished. It was not until she was gone that they bothered to tell the Leaders of the Goa'uld. The enemy they had brought into our world with their own arrival."

"Surely that couldn't have been intentional! To hate the entire Asgard species for something like that… "

"You think I hate them for that?" She raised a brow, again, coldly watching the colonel.

"On the contrary, my species thanked them for the knowledge and vowed to be more on guard should the need arise. The Asgard were not pleased by the revelation that we would not be joining the fight against the Goa'uld. Which is amusing, really, since they considered the Vanir so far behind them on the evolutionary path.

"However, in less than a century, when those of my…. " she paused, as though searching for the right word, "generation? began to be born, it was clear that the peaceful nature of the Vanir had been altered. The Asgard once more returned, and this time the Leaders agreed to aid them. What had happened to us, could happen to another species. It was not until much later that we realized that while we were out there, fighting _their _war, they were busy in useless council with the other races that made up their sacred Four. Confronted, they declared that the Vanir were not advanced enough to join them. The flat refusal riled many of my generation, and war was waged. In the end, the Asgard called for a truce.

"Ironic, is it not, that such a lower species could bring yours down?"

"We misjudged, I do not deny this."

"Yes, you did."

Glad to be getting somewhere, even if it was a lot to process, Hammond asked for Vala to continue.

"In the end, the Leaders agreed to renew the fight against the Goa'uld. Over several centuries, after the Goa'uld became aware of us and learned they could neither use us for hosts nor as slaves, they began to systematically wipe out any of the Vanir they could find. It was then that the Asgard left.

"In terms of sheer numbers, we were vastly outnumbered and our population was shrinking rapidly. They had found some manner to track our weaponry. Our technology would cause sensors on their ships and at their gates, to go off. We began to focus more on using our own energy as opposed to outside force. While effective, it also limited the time we could engage them before we grew too weary to oppose the enemy. In the end, those who remained withdrew and found a new world – our old home having long since been destroyed. We no longer associated ourselves with being Vanir, and simply called ourselves Ka'rosh."

"What does the name mean?" Teal'c inquired in his usual tones.

"The end. Of course, we were wrong. The Asgard once more brought us into the fight. _Unintentionally_, I'm sure." The sarcasm was biting. "Coincidently, the Goa'uld arrived one evening, as the second sun was setting for the day."

"What happened?"

"As far as I know, I am the only one who made it out of that trap. I have not heard another's voice, nor felt another's presence, since that day."

Okay, so Jack felt bad for her. He understood well how such things happened though. How in war, sometimes there was no choice but to fight.. and that yes, sometimes the enemy showed up at your doorstep without warning.

"I don't believe it." He raised a hand before Daniel could interrupt. "I believe that that all happened, I just don't buy that it was intentional." He looked to Thor for confirmation.

"We did not know that we were being followed, but we did know of the Ka'rosh home world."

"You knew, as you left our galaxy, that the Goa'uld were there." The tone wasn't accusatory, it was just tired now. "You knew they'd find those who remained."

"Yes."

"**_What_**!" Jack just looked at Thor in something like disbelief mixed with betrayal.

"We could not interfere. All planets in that system were, under treaty, Goa'uld territory."

Smiling bitterly, Vala leaned casually against the wall. "It was not Goa'uld territory when we went there. You knew of our location, and yet you signed the planet away as though you had the right. Some ally you proved yourselves to be."

Jack sighed. Despondently, he muttered to Carter. "See, I told you it could be worse."


	19. Ch 19

Ca'eles growled. The sound was low, threatening and articulating annoyance at the same time. Until now, he'd stayed out of the conversation. He'd remained completely silent, since none of the humans, nor the Asgard for that matter, could understand him anyway. But he could sense Vala's anger; visually contained as it was, it boiled beneath the surface. Given that, he was upset and his fur bristled in response.

He wondered if he could get away with taking a bite out of the little gray creature.

Vala slanted a glance at him, raising a brow in reply – her expression managing to remain entirely neutral. But she said nothing, she didn't have to. He could tell what she was feeling: trapped. She wanted to return home, or at least to the closest thing she had to one anymore. Ca'eles was in perfect accordance with that desire, even if it meant going back to the planet with the Marsi.

The Ka'rosh was tired of dealing with the Asgard, of trying to play nice when she couldn't fully suppress the part of her that craved retribution. The longer she remained here, the harder it got to deny that section of her mind its wish; to share a little energy with the gray alien – the hard way.

_Fried Asgard… it did have an interesting ring to it._

However, she liked the humans here. Most of them, anyway, seemed alright. She didn't wish to ruin their relations with other races, even if she didn't personally trust or care for their apparent choices. It wasn't her decision to make. What was her decision was whether or not she quieted the parts of her mind clamoring for reprisal, stayed calm and waited it out. Eventually they would let her leave. Of that she was certain.

"We need your assistance." Thor's voice was even, composed as ever.

"I apologize, I am not feeing very cooperative today. Or ever, for that matter." Her tone, in contrast, was openly hostile once more. Vala was about to repeat her request to leave, when the little gray alien said the one thing that she hadn't counted on and it made her breath catch in her throat.

"We believe Gullveig has returned."

For a few moments, Vala contemplated what it meant to be able to breathe. When the process yet again resumed, and she was able to speak once more, she managed to keep her voice from betraying her unease. There was a certain level of pride in that.

"What makes you think I would believe that?" The Ka'rosh looked skeptical, but in truth certain key pieces were now snapping into place and forming a much larger picture. _If Gullveig was still alive… _

"We have evidence to support this belief."

"Of course you do." She waited expectantly. Her expression gave the impression of deep thought, when in reality Vala was still concentrating on keeping her breathing steady. Amazing the energy one could put into such a simple task.

Thor quickly surmised that his one opportunity to gain any aid and belief from the Ka'rosh was at hand, and he acted promptly to show the alleged evidence to her. Without any indication of activating some hidden technology, a hologram suddenly lighted in front of them. The subject matter immediately became visible; a battle underway.

_Well_, Vala thought absently, _if you call **that** a battle._

It wasn't much of a fight, lasting only a few minutes before the small invading force had prevailed over the much larger one of some minor Goa'uld. The defeated Goa'uld himself was instantly put to death. No muss, no fuss.

When the smoke finally cleared, and the debris in the air settled, a tall red-haired woman stood, smiling victoriously. Vala recognized _her_. Who she didn't place right away was the woman who had actually killed the other Goa'uld. Making an unconscious comparison between the red-haired host and the new arrival, Vala knew the triumphant leader would be a good two inches taller than she, herself, stood.

The woman was tall, sporting shoulder length blond hair and gray eyes; pretty, the Ka'rosh supposed. But it was the eyes that caught her attention, they seemed to glow faintly – where the whites of her eyes should have been, was instead a silvery-blue.

Not just another Goa'uld – not by far.

"Gullveig," Vala said tightly; the word coming out in a soft hiss of breath. For a moment she could feel the tie that bound members of her race together. She wondered how it had escaped her notice before. Unless, of course, _someone_ had deliberately cloaked their presence from the link. It made sense and was far more comforting than to think she, herself, had lost the ability to trace the link.

"We were not certain until now."

Rather than responding to Thor, Vala instead turned to General Hammond. Her expression was strained; sorrow warring with anger. There was a hint of pain in those overly bright blue eyes as well, yet her voice was once more under perfect control. "I am sorry."

Hammond was caught off-guard by the contrition he heard and his reply conveyed his confusion. "For what, Ms. Kyair?"

"It can no longer be doubted that it is my fault for the entry gained through your stargate, and as a result I am responsible for those she sent here."

"I beg your pardon?" Oh yeah, he was lost now. Someone else, however, was not.

"The telepathy between members of your species. She used it to tap into your thoughts." It was given the pretense of a question, yet Daniel's tone made it into a statement. He knew.

"Yes."

"But how did she know you were here in the first place?" Well, he didn't know _everything_, after all.

"The exact details I am not certain of. It is possible that the energy output generated when I accessed the stargate, and to allow us passage through your iris, alerted her. It is more likely that simply returning to such an energy form brought me to her attention."

"And it didn't do that before today?" Jack was somewhat skeptical.

" It has been some time since I attempted it," came the simple reply. "It consumes enough energy to where there is usually a better, less costly means of doing something. Besides," she almost reluctantly admitted, "it only serves to remind me of what is gone."

She ignored the curious glances that prompted, and instead focused on the issue at hand. If it was her coming here that brought Gullveig's awareness to the planet, then she couldn't just leave. As much as she'd like to tell the Asgard, Thor, exactly what he could do with his problem – fate had made the problem hers as well. She wasn't the type to abandon her responsibilities. Yet, the idea of helping the Asgard still grated on her nerves. Vala attempted to push past that thought, vowing to herself that if she were given the opportunity, she'd settle up with them when this was all over.

"I will do what I can to help you," the Vanir stated softly, directing her words once again to Hammond rather than Thor. Her gaze had returned to, and remained focused steadfast on, the image frozen in the hologram. For so long she believed herself alone, the last survivor of a once great race, and here before her was the image of another. Alive. Breathing.

Host to a monster.

Even if she could rescue Gullveig, what would there be left to save after all those millennia under the control of a Goa'uld? Could anyone's mind survive such an ordeal intact? Everyone had their limits, and Vala knew that would likely break her own. Of course, all of that assumed she'd be able to do anything for the other Vanir. From the dawning of realization on exactly who the host was, she had acknowledged the unchangeable fact of war: sometimes you lost those you tried most to save. Knowing that didn't answer the question that lurked in her heart, however. Would she be able to end the life of the only other known Vanir alive? Could she be responsible for an action that, throughout the species' history, had never occurred.

Vanir did not kill their own.

Wiping the uncertainty from her thoughts, and hopefully banishing any sign of it visually from her features, she trained her mind on the initial task. Undoubtedly the Asgard had some idea about how to proceed. She needed their intel on the situation, and that concept made her cringe inwardly.

Scolding her thoughts, Vala finally looked away from the hologram and met the inquisitive expressions of those around her.

"You have an idea of how to proceed." It wasn't a question, and it lacked any level of appreciation or warmth, but it was coolly polite.

"We have collected all of the data we currently possess about the Goa'uld and the domain she currently holds." The hologram altered its image, showing instead a beautiful, lush forest. "We believe she is on this planet."

"Great, more trees…" Jack muttered.

"We can do nothing more without breaking treaty with the Goa'uld."

"Of course you can not." The tone was indifferent, beyond caring about the dealings of the Asgard. They wouldn't do anything, they rarely did. She had long ago learned to rely on herself. But, she wasn't alone. Not really. She had Ca'eles and Lasha.. and if the humans decided to act – well, she trusted in them as well.

Hammond considered the information before him.

"General, you know we have to do this." Daniel offered softly.

"We can't have a Goa'uld like that out there," Jack chimed in, giving his two cents on the subject.

"If we don't do something, she could possibly dominate the System Lords." Sam ventured. "With a host body capable of the regeneration and power of a Vanir, we could soon find ourselves facing an army the likes of which we have never seen."


End file.
